Deadly Concoctions
by Coquettish Siren
Summary: YUFFENTINE YuffiexVincent - Yuffie continues to have dreadful nightmares she fears may soon become reality. Can the Lord of Darkness himself save her from the imminent danger, or will he be the source for her demise? -Rated M for adult situations-
1. Chapter 1: The Fear

**CHAPTER 1: The Fear**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own any of the characters, ideas, worlds, ect. of FFVII**

_**Author's Note**_**: Please review!! I love hearing what people have to say about my work!! Criticism is also welcome.**

--Y--

_Silently Yuffie knelt on the glass-coated concrete, blood seeping from her knees as she pressed her weight against the rigid shards. The dark grayness of the sky above her rapidly swirled with the thunderous clouds. A swift wind disarrayed her hair, obscuring her vision. She shivered as the icy steel of a blade gently pressed down on the back of her bare neck._

_"Any last words?" her slayer asked ruefully before digging the sharp edge to bite her tender flesh. Yuffie winced at the pain, but continued to hold her composure._

_Yuffie looked up at the opaque black figure, revealing a dark, valiant scold._

_The shadowy body raised his blade above his head. "So be it." Bitter steel sliced through the air, Yuffie's heart rapidly pounding against her chest, wanting to break free—an overwhelming realization gripped her soul; her love would not save her this time. Razor edge hit flesh…_

Yuffie's whole body convulsed within the tangle of her bed sheets. Her eyes shot open as she suddenly awoke from the nightmare. As she allowed the warmth of her bed and the crackling fire in the hearth comfort her, she sat up against the cool wooden headboard to regain her sense of reality. Trembling uncontrollably, she tightly pulled her knees close to her chest. Resting her forehead on her knees, she tried to rid her mind from the vivacity of her horrid dream.

This had continued for weeks, now. Yuffie was becoming frustrated with the fact that she could not obtain proper sleep anymore. Fear always overwhelmed her thoughts, and nightmares always haunted her sleep. She did not understand this oddly new disruption which always distressed her mind in the middle of the night. These disturbing illusions were becoming hazardous to her way of thinking; she feared that these nightmares would eventually become her reality—however, with no one truly close to talk to since Aerith died, Yuffie was forced to endure the burden of the hauntings by herself.

Still trembling a bit, Yuffie buried her face in her sweaty palms and growled as if to rid herself of her shivering. She swiped her hands back through her long brown hair and looked over at the digital clock next to her bedside reading 4:15 AM.

"You have got to be kidding me…" she whispered tiredly to herself. She glanced down at the empty space next to her on the bed, realizing that Vincent was still on the night shift patrolling the airship. 'I should switch to night shift… then I wouldn't have to bear these Gods forsaken nightmares.' Yuffie sighed at her thoughts, and decided she was just going to stay awake for the remainder of the morning, fearful of falling victim to her own slumber.

As she slid out of bed and made her way to take leave, the door to her bedroom opened rather abruptly. Yuffie jumped back, clutching her chest heaving painfully with freight as for some reason she feared that her intruder would be the antagonist from her dreams.

Vincent stepped through the threshold, halting at the sight of the shaken brunette. He bewilderedly stared at her as she regained her familiarity with him.

"…Good morning," he greeted softly, very much perplexed by Yuffie's active consciousness at the current hour.

The piercing numbness in her feet slowly began to ease, and she wiggled her fingers carefully to free herself of her temporary paralysis. "Err… hi," she exhaled. Noticing the confused expression lingering on Vincent's face, she hastily justified her apparent awakening, "I-I couldn't sleep."

Crimson eyes penetrated into platinum, he knew that something in her voice sounded a bit distressed, but instead of prying for an explanation, he assumed she was just overwhelmed by his sudden entrance.

"It seems there is activity in the mountain ranges. I came to inform you that we are heading out soon," Vincent paused to look at her bedtime attire, "Seeing as you are already awake, you should probably change into something more suitable for the weather. We leave in 15 minutes."

Having hardly noticed she was still in her underwear and small T-shirt, Yuffie blushed profusely. "Err... yeah, will do. Thanks Vince."

With that said, there was a swoosh of his tattered scarlet cloak, and clinking of his golden boots, that signaled Vincent's leave.

Still red in the cheeks, Yuffie embarrassedly smiled after him.

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	2. Chapter 2: A Fatal Morning

**CHAPTER 2: A Fatal Morning**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own any of the characters, ideas, worlds, ect. of FFVII**

**_Author's Note_: Yay! New Chapter! Sorry for the wait! Read away and enjoy!**

--Y--

After she donned some decent clothes, Yuffie hurriedly buckled up her knee-high combat boots before quickly grabbing her shuriken and rushing out the door. Taking the steps two at a time, she hastily made her way down the metal staircase which spiraled into the Bridge of the airship.

Yuffie joined Vincent and Cid, the only two Avalanche members waiting her arrival.

"Hey!" Yuffie greeted, a little out of breath.

Vincent avoided eye contact with her, apparently still rather embarrassed from their prior meeting.

"Where is everyone?" Yuffie asked Cid, ignoring Vincent's refusal to look at her.

Cid looked to the open door where a cold breeze was emanating into the room, puffing on his cigar. "Spike's left the three of us to head for the caves. Barret and Red went with him into the mountains earlier this mornin'. Turks've gone into the town."

Yuffie nodded, masking the worry and torment of her nightly fears with her bubbly grin. "Well, what heck are we waiting for?"

As Cid picked up his javelin, Vincent began to walk down the platform out of the airship, Yuffie skipping after him.

"Holy Leviathan, it's cold!" Yuffie screeched the moment she stepped out into the snow. The frosty layer sunk up to her knees, immediately restricting any further steps. Almost all the heat from her legs dissipated from the freezing ice seeping through her boots.

A loud laughter echoed from the entrance of the airship. Yuffie whipped her head around in anger to see an amused Cid making his way down the ramp to the snow.

"Wait 'til you get out here, dumb ass! Won't be so funny when you're balls fall off from frost bite!" Yuffie frowned as she irritably struggled to take a step. She let out an agonized cry as she fell face first into the bitter cold snow. "Aw, damn…" she sighed, her voice muffled by the frozen powder. She could hear the frenzy of laughter emitting from the captain, further making her even more petulant and embarrassed.

Vincent, who had been clearing a trail for the other two to walk, turned around just in time to witness Yuffie's ungraceful fall. Frowning slightly at the amused blonde in the doorway, he made his way towards the collapsed ninja back through the trampled snow. Gently wrapping his golden claw around her waist, Vincent lifted her up with ease, unaware of the fact that he had tightly pulled her into his muscular torso in the process; though, at noticing this unconscious action, he immediately released her from his hold.

Yuffie turned around to face Vincent, her nose and cheeks were reddened from the cold impact and glazed over from the wet frost.

"Thanks…," she grumbled, wiping the icy moisture from her face. She gave a quick glare to Cid, who was easing himself from the hilarity of it all, then back to Vincent.

"I made a clearing for us to walk. Follow me," Vincent stated, quickly walking back towards the path he had created.

Cid hurried after Vincent, smirking at Yuffie as he passed her. 'Jerk,' Yuffie scowled after the insolent pilot before catching up with him.

"Ugh… I'm exhausted…" Yuffie whined as the three of them continued to trample through the thick snow.

"Shut your trap, brat! You've been complainin' for two _damn_ hours! Give it a rest, will ya? If ya didn't wanna face the cold, then ya shouldn't have come!" Cid barked at her.

"I can't feel my feet anymore! It's fricken freezing out here!" she excused herself. Her back was hunched as she dragged her feet lazily through the dense powder behind Vincent.

"Damn… nex' time Spike picks teams, that brat ain't comin' with me! Fucking sissy, I say," Cid scoffed, readjusting his hold on the spear leaning against his shoulder.

Yuffie stopped to gasp at the remark; placing her hands on her hips she gave Highwind a disgusted look. "You little-!"

"Oh, don't be such a fucking girl!"

Yuffie's mouth dropped open. Wildly infuriated by his comments, the ninja furrowed her brows, irately staring at the smirking antagonist in disbelief. She could have sworn the steam was blowing out her ears as her small leather gloved hands balled into fists of vehemence. Before she knew what she was doing she had lunged at the pilot, one hard punch being thrown in his direction. Instinctively, Vincent caught the enraged fist only seconds before it had collided with the back of her target's head.

Furiously looking up into the face of the raven haired man, Yuffie growled, "What the hell, Vincent?!"

Crimson eyes penetrated into platinum as if trying to enforce fear into her. However, he was astonished to find that she did not let down her guard to him; instead she continued to stare him down, unwilling to let his piercing stare frighten her. It was in that moment he realized just how different Yuffie truly was from the others. Perhaps it was the arrogance or invincibility of her age that allowed her to stand up to him; yet, either way, he could have sworn that there was something deeper in those silver spheres that convinced him otherwise.

"Save your strength, Yuffie. Unleash your fury on the enemy, not your comrades," Vincent's deep velvety voice gently cooed through Yuffie's ears, minimally softening her gaze and easing her frustration.

Ripping her hand free of his grasp, Yuffie let out an aggravated cry. Pushing Cid as she stomped by him to lead the small party, the irritated ninja flashed him a look of repugnance as she passed by.

Vincent and Cid remained where they were, both astonished gazes following after her.

A loud screech suddenly resonated throughout the forest, shattering the short silence. Cid immediately fell to the ground, slamming his hands over his ears.

"What the fuck?!" he shrieked as soon as the brief sound had desisted. "What hell _was_ that?"

Vincent whirled around just in time to catch the sight of a snarling creeper leaping towards him. Before he had time to release Death Penalty from its sheathe, a large steel disc flung against the beast, knocking it to the ground just yards away from where he was standing. Highwind jumped high into the air before slamming his lance into the creature's gut.

Vincent whipped his head back around to see the Wutainian princess smirking as she held her shuriken proudly above her head.

"Surprised, are we?" she cockily jeered, placing a hand on her hip.

It was not the fact that she had saved his life that now made Vincent's eyes wide. Quickly he drew his three-barrel pistol and pointing it at Yuffie.

Yuffie's expression faded into one of fear as she became the vampire's target.

"Move!" he bellowed to her.

Hastily diving to one side and rolling in the snow, Yuffie obeyed his command as Vincent downed the incoming creeper that threatened her life.

"Vince!" Cid cried from behind him.

Pivoting on one foot, Vincent's Death Penalty swiftly pummeled the three beasts that were now mauling his comrade. Blood spewed all over the victim who had luckily survived the attack with only a few minor gashes on his chest and arms.

There was little reaction time to prepare Vincent for what came next. Sharp teeth sank deep into the former Turk's shoulder as massive claws tore away the flesh on his ribs along with his shirt and cloak. Raising his revolver to the vile head carnivorously gnawing on his shoulder, Vincent blew off a couple rounds, spurting the back of his neck with scarlet liquid.

"Vincent!" Yuffie cried, racing over to the severely wounded man.

Vincent fell to one knee, desperately trying to fight the pain which now throbbed within his whole right arm. Yuffie hurried in front of him to catch his swaying body. As he looked into her horror stricken face, he saw a good-sized bruise forming on her forehead, and a bloody slash across her chest where one of the beasts had clawed her. Her concern filled eyes stared into the haziness of his own as she anxiously waited for him to say something reassuring.

"Vincent?" Yuffie said a little louder, trying to get his attention. She could tell he was fading fast as his breaths became heavy and ragged.

"Hey, brat! Why don't ya get the fuck over here an' help me?" Cid grunted, forcing the last of the brute horde off of him.

Yuffie gave a quick worried glance back to Vincent before running over to help Highwind defeat the fiend.

"Hurry…," Valentine murmured as he felt strong shocks electrocute his entire body. Vincent surrendered to the pain that overwhelmed him as he fell to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. In the softness of the snow he found comfort from the excruciating state his body endured by allowing his weary being to succumb to exhaustion as darkness took over him.

**Well… did you like it?! This one turned out better than I thought! Hopefully though, it wasn't too rushed or anything! Welp, tell me what you think! And my apologies for not having posted this sooner… I had MAJOR writer's block- but I'm good now! XD Enjoy! I'm working on the third chappie—no worries, it will be a filler so you know what heck is goin on!**

_** Coquettish Siren**_


	3. Chapter 3: Nightmares

**CHAPTER 3: Nightmares**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own any of the characters, ideas, worlds, ect. of FFVII**

**_Author's Note_: Sorry this took so long to update… had trouble deciding what to write! MAH! Welp, please read and review!! Wanna know what you think! XD Enjoy!**

--Y--

"Oh gawd… we need to get him back to the airship!" Yuffie worriedly looked down at the pale, convulsing body. Her eyes traveled to the wounds on his ribs, where gangrene infections were forming. "I think he's been poisoned!"

Cid nervously stared at the tragically gruesome scene. His eyebrows had furrowed together into a contemplative expression as he carefully thought about what to do next.

"CID!" Yuffie shouted, snapping him back to reality as she had intended. "Are you even listening to me?! He needs an antidote!" Fretfully rummaging through her little duffle bag, Yuffie could not find an antidote to eradicate the venom. She growled in frustration. "CID! We need to get him back to the airship! I'm out of antidotes!"

The pilot cast an irritated glance at the anxious ninja. "Calm yer ass down, brat! We're way too far out to turn back now. We just need to get him into those caves over there before he gets a pneumonia to go along with that infection."

Worry and concern etched on every inch of her face, Yuffie feared the risks of Vincent's condition as her eyes remained locked on his fatal state. As she pondered over the captain's verdict, Yuffie quickly succumbed to his decision with a slight nod.

"Good. I'll carry the vamp, and you just keep an eye out for more of those nasty fuckers." Highwind knelt down and slid one arm under Vincent's back, roughly heaving the lithe, heavy body over his shoulder.

The Wutainian princess followed Cid through the thick snow while maintaining a thorough scrutiny of their surroundings. She hoped to catch sight of another creeper so she could have the chance to avenge her injured comrade. It was hard to believe that the strongest of the Avalanche team had been wounded so badly. Vincent was usually the one carrying fallen teammates off the battlefield and restoring them back to health. 'It was his strength that saved Cid and I from the same fate… I am truly indebted to you, Vincent. It's not everyday one gives his life for the sake of others.'

Except for the casual grunts Cid made as he adjusted the heavy weight on his shoulder, the snowy forest remained eerily quiet as they proceeded towards the caves.

_Ten Minutes Later…_

"What are we gonna do about the poison?" Kisaragi asked, intently watching Cid as he laid the shaking mass onto the wet cavern floor as carefully as possible.

Cid stood up and bit down on his cigar, guiltily grimacing at their ill friend. Reaching into his pants pockets, the pilot recovered a Cure materia and tossed into Yuffie's hands. "IClose the wounds to stop the bleeding. I'm gonna get some firewood."

Yuffie nodded earnestly as Highwind turned around and left the cave. Vincent convulsed a little, grabbing Yuffie's attention immediately. Gazing down at the mass of bloody disarray, the ninja began peeling the remnants of shredded clothing from the ex-Turk's abdomen until only the bareness of his muscular torso remained.

Forging the glowing emerald sphere into her silver bangle, Yuffie delicately hovered her palms over Vincent's wounds. Tightly she shut her eyes as she conjured the healing energy from the materia through her veins and powerfully freed it into the large gashes. Her hands emitted a faint green radiance with each vigorous release as she continued to repeat the procedure, causing the slashes to gradually decrease until pale skin had completely rejuvenated over the infection.

The repetitive process drained the petite ninja; her body practically collapsed on top of Vincent once she had finally finished mending him. Her arms trembled with fatigue and her head throbbed from the constant concentration. 'That took more outta me than I thought…' Yet, still, she found the strength to weakly rise and lean against the cavern wall as Vincent slowly opened his eyes to meet those of his healer.

"…Yuf-fie…?" his raspy voice cracked.

Half-smiling at her comrade, she placed a hand on his chest to prevent him from sitting up. "Rest," she whispered softly. Valentine didn't need to be told twice as he fell into a deep slumber. 'It's the least I could do for you… if only I had a _damn_ antidote.'

"How is he?" Cid asked, waddling into the cave with a bundle of wood in his arms. He set the pile down on the far end of the cave and took a few logs to form a pyramidal stack.

Yuffie leaned against the wall of the cave, quivering with exhaustion. "Hard to tell since I enclosed the infection within his skin. He can probably withstand the toxin for a short while, but I don't know how long it will take before it starts to supersede his system." She observed the airship captain as he used his Fire materia to combust a flame of heat from his palm, producing the intended blaze onto the triangular fagot.

"I'll leave first thing in the mornin' to retrieve the fucking remedy. I don' think Vince will last long if we try to take him back to airship… not in this condition," Cid assured her, settling himself across from her on the other side of the fire.

Yuffie pulled out a wool blanket that had been stuffed into her duffle bag and draped it over Vincent's naked chest. "What about Cloud? Should we tell him about Vincent?"

"Already have. He contacted me when I was out getting wood. I told him what happened." Cid adjusted himself to comfort as he leaned against the cold stone behind him. He noticed the trepidation she expressed for the former Turk through the dancing flames. "No worries, kid. Vincent's a tough guy, he'll pull through like he always does."

'I hope so…' Yuffie gazed into burning embers, quickly yielding to her fatigue.

_Wind lapped at her face as she stood courageously on the stone dais, her gaze intently piercing the approaching shadow before her. The sky above swirled into a dark vortex of thunderclouds as lightning illuminated the atmosphere. Lithe hands hung anxiously at her sides as one fiercely occupied Conformer; the ninja was ready._

_"You forget, I'm impervious to defeat," the black figure spoke ruthlessly, quickly advancing towards her as if gliding on air._

_Yuffie opened her mouth to speak, but found herself lacking a voice. She grasped her throat as if to squeeze out her words, then dropped her hand to glare menacingly at her nemesis._

_"No clever threats from the invincible ninja?" the cold voice patronized, sending a shock through her nerves. "Pity. I would have enjoyed making you choke on them."_

_Anger overwhelmed the empress, now. Her heartbeat increased rapidly as she thrust the steel bladed crux at the shadowy body. The dark form instantly disintegrated into a cloud of obscurity as the shuriken was about to make contact. She furiously searched the ground for her opponent's apparition until an excruciating pain struck through shoulder. Opening her mouth to scream without a voice, Yuffie crushed her eyelids together to bear the agony of her new injury. Looking down at the upper part of her chest, she saw that a metallic claw had gripped her shoulder forced the thumb just under her collarbone. She painfully watched as the iron digit withdrew from its impalement. _

_"On your knees, Kisaragi," her foe now stood behind her and kicked the back of her knees, causing her to fall on all fours upon a mass of shattered glass._

_Raising herself only to rest upon her feet, Yuffie was determined not to let her fear of death overwhelm her. Although within she was screaming for a savior, her expression illustrated pride and valor._

_"Any last words?" her slayer asked ruefully before digging the sharp edge to bite her tender flesh._

"Yuffie!" Cid was desperately trying to wake the ninja as he shook her and gruffly called her name. "Yuffie!"

Slowly opening her eyes to meet the pilot's frown, Yuffie regained consciousness.

"Y'all right, kid?" he asked, loosening his grip on her forearms. "Fuck, you scared the shit outta me! Thought you were dying from all your fucking screaming."

'You're not wrong,' Yuffie thought as she propped herself up against the wet stone behind her. "Yeah… sorry about that. Just had a nightmare."

"No shit. Must've been some fucking nightmare." Cid stood up, still maintaining a bewildered stare on her.

Yuffie rubbed her shoulder where she had been impaled. It still ached from the reality of her haunting, and her body tingled within terror as she gradually began to realize that it was only a dream. She looked up at Cid, who curiously eyed her actions.

"I'm fine, Cid," she assured him, somewhat smiling in order to ease his concern. "How's Vincent?"

Cid looked over at the slumbering man resting on the floor next to the fire. "Still sleeping."

Yuffie glanced at the comatose immortal before looking back up at Highwind. She noticed his spear latched to his back along with his other travel items. "You going to get the antidote?"

"Yeah. I should only be gone a few hours." Cid started heading out of the cave. "Gimme a ring if something comes up."

Yuffie nodded as she watched him disappear from sight. For a long while, she just sat there staring off into the snowy distance, replaying her nightmare over and over. 'Why do I keep having these dreams? I don't understand…'

"…Yuffie?" a weak voice called from the other side of the cave.

Directing her senses to the present and ending her contemplation, the ninja swiftly crawled over to the awakened Vincent.

"Hey, Vince," she said quietly, gently placing a palm to his forehead to check for a possible fever. "How are you feeling?"

"Healed," his harsh monotone cracked as he spoke. "…thanks to you."

Crimson eyes tried to meet her gaze, but silver orbs dropped to focus on his torso which feigned curing. She shook her head sadly. "You're poisoned… we had to close the wounds without curing the infection to prevent further blood loss." The hand that rested on his forehead fell to his chest. "Cid left awhile ago to get an antidote because I wasn't smart enough to pack any."

Silence suffocated Yuffie then. She felt terrible for not being able to return the favor; he had saved her life and now all she could do was watch him pay the price. "I'm so sorry…"

Vincent hesitantly settled his hand atop hers, provoking an incessant fluttering within her. It was the first time she had ever witnessed him being so… _human_. "You did the right thing in sealing the gashes. I don't think I could have healed myself with the poison attacking my immunity."

"But I should have – " Yuffie lost her words as she felt Vincent's hand grip onto hers.

At that moment, she looked up just in time to see his eyes close and what she thought was a very small hint of a smile form on his lips. She feared him falling back asleep would increase the likeliness of him never waking up, but it was a risk she had to take considering his current condition.

"I'm so sorry…" she whispered sadly. She allowed her hand to linger in his grasp until she felt it loosen from his unconsciousness.

**This one was a little longer! Sorry it wasn't much of a filler… I realize I still have yet to explain why Avalanche is out in the middle of nowhere… I'll most likely fill you in during the next chapter! Sorry it took so long to update, hopefully you enjoyed it though!! Please review so I can continue the fic! Happy Holidays!**

_** Coquettish Siren**_


	4. Chapter 4: Where It Begins, How It Began

**CHAPTER 4: Where It Begins, How It Began (Flashback)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own any of the characters, ideas, worlds, ect. of FFVII**

**_Author's Note_: Yes, I know it took me half of forever to post this, but Senior year is becoming a little hectic… I swear my English teacher is purposely trying to fry our brains with the buttload of essays she's assigning! Ugh! Anyway, on a good note, here's the new chapter!! Hope you enjoy it!! It's a filler! ;)**

--Y--

_--Flashback--_

The tumult of drunken customers hollering and laughing resonated throughout the 7th Heaven bar. It was becoming a long night for Yuffie; she was repetitively washing dishes and mixing alcoholic beverages, never finding a moment to sit down and rest. Being a bartender was a very exhausting job and, after experiencing it first-hand, she quickly began to respect the fact that Tifa could do it so well while putting up with intoxicated men.

Since Tifa's belly had begun to swell with pregnancy, she had been prohibited to do anything strenuous or fatiguing; thus, leaving Yuffie to bartend. Even though the young ninja had initially come to Midgar solely to visit the Strifes, it wasn't long after her arrival that she had been forced into 'helping out.'

"Cloud!" Tifa yelled, although barely heard over the loud commotion in the bar.

The novice bartender curiously looked over her shoulder towards the staircase where a disgruntled Cloud was descending hastily. Tifa struggled to hurry after him, holding her belly fragilely.

"Cloud!" Tifa called after him. "Wait!"

The spikey-haired blonde stopped and slowly turned around. His face formed into an expression of horror as he watched his delicate wife hurry down the steps. "Tifa! What are you _doing_?" he cried angrily at her.

The brunette reached the bottom and placed her hands on her hips in disgust of his question. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm chasing after _you_!"

Cloud shook his head irritably. "Tifa, you're going to hurt yourself. Please don't do that again!"

Tifa frowned deeply at him. "Whatever gets your attention, I suppose!"

"What's _that _supposed to mean?" he questioned despicably.

She exhaled in frustration. "We're married, Cloud! _And _we have a baby on the way! Is there really nothing here that will convince you to stay longer than a week?"

"Tifa…" he began sadly. It was definitely an argument that had never ceased between the couple.

"How long, Cloud? How long is will it take for you to realize she's _dead_?"

He rubbed his forehead as though she were giving him a migraine.

"I don't get it! Why can't you just stay home?" Tears began to flow from her saddened maroon eyes. "I need you here… I can't do this by myself…"

"I… it's not that simple -" Cloud went to put his hands on her forearms, but she shoved him away.

"If you didn't want the 'obligation' of a family, then why the _hell _did you marry me?!" Tifa sobbed, wiping away the trickling water trails.

"Tifa…"

"No!" she shouted, burying her face in her palms. "Go away!"

Without even looking up to see his expression, Tifa began walking back up the staircase, her body racking with sobs as she made her ascent. Cloud stared after her for a moment, extremely hurt by her words.

Yuffie watched as the troubled warrior glumly trudged out of the bar with a very pained face. She knew she would hear about the quarrel later since she was the only one Tifa could divulge her feelings to recently. Yuffie turned back to the counter where beer-greedy customers awaited her diligent service.

An hour passed before the last of the regulars had left the bar in their drunken states, leaving Yuffie to wipe down the counters and tables.

"Thank the Gods… peace and quiet," Yuffie sighed with relief at the pleasant silence.

Taking a seat on one of the barstools, she laid her head down on the cool, clean surface, enjoying the subtle tranquility. Tiredness overwhelmed her petite frame, she didn't even think she'd be able to make it to her bedroom without falling asleep. Closing her eyes never felt so good as did then. Slowly, she felt her consciousness slip away…

A sudden raucous of shattering glass sounded from upstairs, alerting all of Yuffie's senses instantly. Eyes wide and heart pounding rapidly, Yuffie slid off of the tall seat and crept toward the start of the staircase.

"Wha-?" she heard Tifa's tired voice croak.

Quickly and quietly, Yuffie grabbed a butcher's knife from the knife block and hurriedly tip-toed up the stairs.

"Wh-Who are you?!" Tifa screamed, followed by the thrashing of bed sheets. "What are you doing?! Stop it!"

The sound of a heavy thud against the floor made Yuffie sprint to her friend's bedroom. She kicked open her door, immediately noticing Tifa's motionless body on the ground beside the bed. She furiously searched the darkness for the assailant.

Slowly, Yuffie inched her way inside the room, hugging the wall as she did so. Her heartbeat raced with fear as she felt a firm grip around her throat, lifting her off the ground. She gasped for air as the grasp tightened around her trachea.

Instinctively, Yuffie sliced the small blade at her attacker's arm, successfully causing him to drop her and hiss in pain. Scrambling to her feet so she could fight the intruder, she quickly realized he had disappeared once more into the darkness of the room.

'Shit!' she thought, searching for some sort of silhouette in the pitch black. She swallowed painfully to ease the burning in her throat before speaking aloud, "…What do you want?"

A guttural chuckle reverberated from the other side of the room. "My main ingredient, of course."

Alarmed, Yuffie continued to peer through the nightly room, still keeping an eye on Tifa in her peripheral vision. "…Main ingredient?"

"Yes, for my experiment," the raspy voice spoke, sounding closer than before.

Yuffie began to panic. There was no getting through the darkness without being attacked, but she had to try. Just as Yuffie lunged to Tifa's immobile body, a fist as strong and heavy as iron slammed into her cheekbone, bashing her to the hardwood floor. The excruciating pain throbbing throughout that one side of her face had knocked her senseless; she couldn't even think straight.

Blinded by the agonizing pounding, Yuffie didn't even notice that her attacker now towered over her triumphantly. Her upper body was suddenly wrenched upwards at the fierce jerk of her leather vest.

"Care not for the princess, Ms. Lockheart," his cold voice whispered wretchedly into her ear, "She'll be well taken care of… I assure you." He chuckled quietly at seeing Yuffie still in a daze.

Before there a sense of what was happening occurred to Yuffie, another hard punch was thrown in the same spot as before, rendering her unconscious.

Yuffie wearily opened her good eye, seeming as the other was swollen shut. As she peered through the thick darkness of her surrounding, she slowly began to find that she was still lying on the cold floor of Tifa's bedroom. Fear strangled her lungs and she quickly began to grope the floor for Tifa's body, but felt nothing but the smooth wooden surface.

'No…'

Heavy footsteps clunked against the stairs.

The glint of the butcher's knife a few yard away encouraged Yuffie to crawl over and grab it. Straining, but still managing to get to her feet, she swiftly hobbled behind the door.

The loud stomps clattered through the hallway, and then stopped upon arriving before Tifa's room.

Yuffie readied herself inaudibly behind the door as her speedy heart pummeled her ribcage and adrenaline raced through her veins.

The intruder took a cautious step passed the threshold, apprehensive of the eerie stillness.

Yuffie kicked the wooden slab hard against the newcomer, dodging out of its way as it swung back at her. She furiously raised her weapon, prepared to strike. Something heavy and metallic (almost like a miniature cannon) collided with her hoisted arm, breaking it instantly.

The young ninja screamed shrilly before recoiling onto the ground and clutching her fractured arm against her chest. Her eyes began to water with the full strength of the unbearable pain.

Looking up through tear-blurry vision, Yuffie familiarized the robust silhouette looming over her.

"…Barret?" she whimpered, fearfully hoping she was correct.

"Yuffie?" the deep voice sounded shocked to hear the frailty of her own. "What the hell're ye doin?"

"T-Tifa and I were attacked…" She desperately tried to hold her composure before her comrade. "I was knocked unconscious when they took her."

"Who did?" Barret asked anxiously.

"I-I don't know…" she breathed through tightly gritted teeth. She noticed the his brows furrow in bewilderment. "I-I had just woke up when I heard your footsteps, and I panicked… thinking it were the same guy… I had no choice but to defend myself," she spoke in between winces of agonizing twinges.

Yuffie struggled to stand, but without any assistance, her attempt landed her back on the ground. A small cry escaped her lips as the sudden fall sent a shooting pain through her broken arm.

"Sorry about that," Barret whispered apologetically, scooping her up in his strong arms and carrying her out of the room.

"It's okay. We both didn't know what to expect," she replied, still hugging her wounded limb.

A hush fell between the two as Barret brought her down to the bar, his arms securely holding her against his firm chest.

"We need to contact Cloud," Yuffie finally said in a sad voice.

He nodded slowly in agreement. "A'right, but let's first git you fixed up."

With that said, Barret continued to carry her out of the Strife household until reaching his beat up truck. Opening the vehicle door, he carefully placed the injured ninja inside.

Before shutting the door, he said solemnly, "Guess we're gonna be havin' an Avalanche reunion sooner than we thought."

_--End Flashback—_

The exhausted ninja dazedly stared off into the distance of the snowy landscape outside the cave. Thunder clouds darkened the sky and the wind had started to pick up great speed; a storm was imminent, and Cid had still not returned. At least two and a half hours had passed since he left, and there still remained no sign of the airship captain.

As Yuffie stood leaning against the cavern wall, she wondered if the others had had any luck in their search. They had been on this manhunt for what seemed like months, and there was still no sign of Tifa.

'Gods, this is all my fault,' Yuffie thought, rubbing her forehead in distress. '_Heroes _are what make up Avalanche… I don't deserve that title... I only put it to shame.'

"I fail everyone," she whispered, the guilt squelching her lungs and causing her to inhale ragged breaths. "First Tifa… now Vincent –"

A loud buzz echoed throughout the cave and vibrated against her thigh. Yuffie jumped at the sudden tremor in her shorts' pocket. She quickly pulled out her PHS and flipped it open.

"Hello?" she sniffed, trying not to sound suspicious of sadness.

"Hey, brat!" Cid's voice yelled over the loud static ruffling into the speaker. "We got a bit of a problem."

Yuffie gave a quick glance at the peacefully sleeping Vincent. "What kind of problem?" she asked worriedly. The static grew louder with great intensity. "Cid!"

"…seems... big storm… not sure I… make it back…" his voice cut out intermittently with the loss of connection.

"Cid! Vincent needs the antidote! I'm not sure how much longer he can last!" Yuffie cried stressfully, her mind teeming with guilty thoughts once more; she no longer wanted to let anyone down.

"Vince will… fine, kid… keep… safe 'til… storm's over…"

There was a long pause afterward signaling that Cid had hung up.

Yuffie closed shut the PHS before walking over to Vincent and sitting down beside him. As her silver eyes roamed over his lithe body, all burdening guilt seemed to vanish; she couldn't help but marvel at his handsome image. His expression was so tranquil, making it impossible to notice that he was the least bit ill. Continuing to admire his heavenly features, it became incredulous to Yuffie how someone so perfect was not able to find love; he was just so beautiful.

She absentmindedly palmed his soft cheek. Vincent leaned his face into her hand, murmuring something caressingly against it. Yuffie quickly withdrew her hand at the realization of what she was doing.

'Holy Leviathan!' her mind screamed in horror. 'This is Vincent! Mr. Vampire Valentine! …Oh Gods… what the hell am I thinking? He's my _friend_, nothing more...'

She eyedthe peaceful man curiously. '…Right?'

**Hooray for an update! Gives everyone a cookie Sorry this filler might have been a little disarrayed! I don't think I edited this thoroughly, so if there are things that don't make sense, let me know and I'll fix 'em! Anyway, I hope the content was good, though! So let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading! ;)**

_** Coquettish Siren**_


	5. Chapter 5: A Dark Encounter I

**CHAPTER 5: A Dark Encounter (PART I)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own any of the characters, ideas, worlds, ect. of FFVII**

**_Author's Note_: Omg. I am SO sorry it took so long! MAH! Hate me, Love me! My chapter editor was too busy to edit this; otherwise I would have had it out like a week ago! Ugh! Anyway, I'll TRY not to be so prone to procrastination! So here you go! Enjoy!**

--Y--

_Two Days Later…_

The mixture of wind and snow that had swirled and howled outside the rocky shelter had finally ceased. Darkness continued to cloud the sky and suffocate any sunlight that tried to penetrate its vast gray cumuli. Except for the distant lightning, illumination was scarce. Although, the earth rarely quaked with the crackling roar of the tumultuous thunder, all was somewhat peaceful.

The storm had thrashed about the Nibelheim mountains over a course of three days. Yuffie had made several attempts to get a hold of Cid, but no signal permitted an adequate connection. During that long period, Vincent had awakened more frequently; a good sign of his quick healing. Each day the greenish tint beneath his skin would incrementally diminish. Even though the immortal was recovering rapidly, Yuffie still felt that something terrible was pending.

Sitting in front of the weakly burning embers and hugging her knees close to her chest, Yuffie repetitively shot blasts of Fire from her palm in order to maintain a decent flame.

Becoming irritated with her failure, she growled in frustration. "Oh c'mon!"

She conjured another fireball only to see that it dissipated almost immediately after touching the wood. She frowned at her hand in aggravation.

"Stupid materia! Can't even make a frikken fire!"

Yuffie huffed in reluctant defeat and rested her cheek against her knees. She shot an angry glance at the frail blaze, watching as it was quickly smothered by the wet environment of the cave. She felt the wood, and at taking notice of its dampness she rolled her eyes.

"No wonder."

Sighing, Yuffie fell back against the moist stone wall behind her.

'How long is Cid going to wait? I mean, honestly! We're kinda on a time limit here! Hel-_lo_!'

Her indignant frown from fire-making fell sadly as the image of _Tifa's motionless body on the ground beside the bed_ passed through Yuffie's mind.

'I'll find you, Tif! Even if it kills me, I'll find you!' Yuffie's heart quickened at the thought.

She rose to her feet and cautiously walked to the entrance of the fissure, claiming her PHS before hopping down into the knee-high snow. Raising the device into the air, Yuffie searched for a decent connection that would permit her to get a hold of Cid.

'Two bars.' She frowned and continued walking, unknowingly becoming farther away from the cave.

'Three. Two.' Yuffie swung around and lifted the small plastic gadget higher into the air. 'Three.'

"Nice," she smiled and flipped open the PHS.

Just as her finger touched the speed dial number for Cid, a sharp pain seared through her temples. The ninja cried out and fell backwards into the snow. Tight fists pressed deeply into her skull, trying to somehow ease the blinding agony. Hot tears wrung from her eyes as the pain took on a stronger multitude of intensity. It felt as though someone were driving knives into her brain via her temples.

'_Don't fight it…_' a whisper invaded her thoughts.

Yuffie screamed as more of intellectual torture electrocuted her mind.

'_Embrace it…_'

Persisting to struggle against the sear in her head, Yuffie writhed in the thick icy powder, slamming her fists against her temples.

"Stop it!" she screamed. "_Please_! Leviathan! Make it _STOP_!"

'_Succumb, and the pain will desist…_'

"Gods _dammit_! I don't know _how_!" Yuffie shrieked, feeling as though her head might implode from the amount of excruciating chaos.

'_Just relax…_'

Still pushing down on her aching cranium with hard fists, Yuffie used all her might to take in a few deep, unsteady breaths.

'_That's it… just breathe… relax…_'

Slowly, the white-hot pain began to cease. Yuffie just laid there in the snow, recovering from the severe piercing she had just endured. Her face was cold from the tears that had flooded her cheeks, and her vulnerable body ached from her violent movements. She heaved in as much cool air as possible as her heart hammered within her chest.

"…W-What the hell… was that?" she asked breathlessly into the wind. Yuffie closed her sore eyes, painfully trying to think so much.

'_Me…_'

"What? Who are you?"

When no reply was made, Yuffie opened her eyes slowly to witness pure darkness evanescing her surroundings in an ambiance of pitch black. Her vision slowly enhanced to adapt to the absence of light.

She frantically whipped her head from side to side, searching for the stranger who had forced entry to her mind. She found nothing, literally.

With terror overwhelming her, Yuffie felt the adrenaline running through her veins give her the strength to stand.

"Show yourself!" she ordered, hiding her relentless alarm.

Like a curtain unveiling a play, a bright light parted through the darkness to reveal a bluish figure. As it drew near, the illumination grew, tearing down the black environment until only the vast white landscape of a snowstorm remained around the two.

The light blue shape was in the form of a woman with thick navy dreadlocks trailing to the ground. A white sarong draped over her cerulean body, and an icicle shaped scar was etched on the side of her face. Piercing azure irises penetrated into silver orbs.

"Shiva," Yuffie gasped in awe.

The ice goddess made bowed slightly at the sound of her name.

"But… I don't understand… why -?"

'_Forgive my cerebral invasion, but I had to know if there was anyone else penetrating your mentality,_' her soft echoing voice whispered from inside her mind.

"Yeah… talk about a headache. I thought you were going to rip my skull in two!" Yuffie let out a nervous chuckle, rubbing her head in memory of the painful incident.

A faint smile formed on the divine's blue lips. '_Mind intervention is usually quite painful…_'

Yuffie looked at her curiously. "Why _did_ you interfere with my thoughts? I mean, why didn't you just approach me in person?"

'_Spies are hidden within these mountains… I couldn't risk giving away my identity…_'

"I don't understand," Yuffie said confusedly. "Spies?"

'_Yes. You would do well to always be on your guard in these ranges. You never know who may be your enemy…_'

Lightning struck the sky and the goddess' face flashed into a black skull with the brief illumination; but before the ninja could get a proper look, the instant was gone.

Yuffie took a step back, suspiciously eyeing the blizzard queen in front of her.

"_Fear not, little one… There are more dangerous predators to worry over._" Cobalt eyes narrowed and an evil grin stretched across Shiva's sapphire face.

"Who are you?" Yuffie asked sternly, further backing away from the faux ice deity.

"_You know who I am…_" a harsh and masculine voice replaced the soft tranquility of the other.

Miss Kisaragi stared bewilderedly. 'What _is _going on? _Gawd_! I'm tired of these damn mind-games!'

"Yuffie!"

The little ninja whipped her head over her shoulder, astounded by the sight of a half-naked Vincent Valentine limping towards her through the disarray of wind and snow. As he neared, she saw the heavy pistol weighing down one arm, while the other swung back and forth at his side, forcing him to continue forward. She could see the concern etched on his face, and for some odd reason, it made her heart palpitate.

"Yuffie!" he cried again, except this time it was out of warning. Vincent lunged for her, but failed as he fell to one knee into the icy powder.

It was almost moments too late when Yuffie glanced back at the feign Shiva. A blast of large icicles flew her way, and all Yuffie could think of to defend herself was the Fire materia embedded in her palm.

'_Fira_!' she intellectually summoned from the materia.

Flinging her hand out in front of her, she conjured up all the might left within the small orb, and instantly erupted the blazing contents towards the incoming horde of sharp particles. Shielding her face with her other arm, Yuffie continued to surge more Fira until the collision of heat and frost made a crackling sound signaling the evanescence of the attack.

The counterassault earned a thunderous roar from her nemesis.

Yuffie glanced at her palm and smirked a little before exploding another gust of inferno. Shiva screamed piercingly as the fiery contents emblazoned a large burn across her face. The wintery goddess recoiled to claw at her cobalt face.

A riotous growl sounded from behind the Wutainian. Looking back over her shoulder, she saw the bare-chested gunman running forward, Cerberus raised and firing relentlessly at the azure villainess.

Vincent's shots merely disintegrated when impacting with her crystal-coated skin.

A sly grin swept over Shiva's face and her hands flew into the air, invoking all the power she could to discharge another Diamond Dust.

Without having time to warn him, Yuffie impulsively sprinted at the ex-Turk who seemed too preoccupied with trying to damage the enemy to take notice of his own danger.

Just as Shiva's arms were descending, the ninja leapt out at the gunman and tackled him into the snow. Yuffie wrapped her arms around both of their heads, using her petite body to shield his frail one from any injurious impact.

At hearing the sound of a guttural gurgle, the ninja peered over her protective embrace to take notice of Shiva's imposter slowly morphing into the form of a black-hooded figure. The cloak which he donned pooled out upon the snow, melting it on contact and turning the ground beneath it into sizzling charcoal.

Lungs contracted, squeezing any air left within her chest. Like needles were the hairs on the nape of her neck as they pricked all the way down her spine. Silver eyes were wide and her numb body immersed with fear.

"_Hello, Yuffie_."

The sound of his dark tenor was enough to banish any strength left within her heart. She knew, undoubtedly, that this was _him_; the tormenter from her nightmares.

Upon noticing her paralyzed state, the oppressor continued, "_You recognize me. That is good. No need for villainous introductions, then…_"

The dark silhouette glided towards her.

Yuffie unconsciously tightened her embrace around Vincent's chest—as if she was a fearful child holding her teddy bear—and her hands gripped his toned pectorals to impede her trembling. Her opponent stopped in his tracks at the sight.

"_Oh? A lover?_ _Perhaps I shall have my revenge by taking his life before yours…_"

"You will _not _touch him!" Yuffie snapped disdainfully, her heart throbbing in her chest for safety of the gunman in her arms. She forbid this creature to harm Vincent, and would stop at nothing to ensure his wellbeing…

**Muahaha!! Cliffie, anyone? Hehe… welp, I ABSOLUTELY promise to get the next part to this chapter out within the next couple days! Honest! Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, leave me some reviews to let me know what you thought!! XD Thanks for reading!!**

** _Coquettish Siren_**


	6. Chapter 6: A Dark Encounter II

**CHAPTER 6: A Dark Encounter (PART II)**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, etc. So don't sue.**

**_Author's Note_: Woot, woot!! New Chapter! XD Sorry it took me so long (school is murder… no joke.)! Anywho, here's the new chapter! Hope you guys enjoy it and the next chapter is already in progress:) Welp, here you go!**

--Y--

"_Little girl, I think you are quickly forgetting who I am_" – he lifted a deformed claw next to his face, allowing Yuffie to witness the electricity crackling and writhing around each distorted finger – "_Shall I offer you more clarity?_"

Yuffie gripped the man in her arms a little tighter, beginning to grow very nervous. "What do you want?"

"_I thought that was apparent from my first attack?_"

Yuffie scowled at her opponent. "_You _summoned those creepers!"

He answered with a slight nod, and if she could have seen his face she would have witnessed a malicious grin.

The black-cloaked figure neared ever closer to the little ninja and her gunman.

Yuffie hurriedly pulled the Fire materia from her palm and grabbing Vincent's Cerberus, she forged the small orb into one of its materia sockets. The pistol was engulfed within a sudden blaze, signifying the absorption. She fiercely swung her arm towards her approaching nemesis.

"Don't come any closer!" she threatened, sending a bullet to whiz passed his hood.

A small chuckle left the hooded black pit. "_You already saw how successful your _lover_ was in that attempt._"

Yuffie narrowed her eyes. "He's notmy lover!"

"_Oh? I thought sacrificing one's life for another was an act of endearment… It seems the world has much changed since last I was here._"

The ex-princess' arm trembled; whether it be from the weight of the heavy pistol or the fury surging through her veins, she did not know. Whatever the cause, she maintained a strong composure.

"You're a demon, then," she growled through clenched teeth.

"_One would assume as much… however, I have long exceeded that mere rank of iniquity._"

"Then nightmares and mind invasions are just your cup of tea!" she spat, replacing her fear with loathing.

"_Nightmares? Miss Kisaragi, I care not for your slumber trifles_."

Yuffie frowned. "Don't act stupid! There's no way I could have recognized you if you hadn't tormented my mind while I slept!"

The demon gave a small rueful laugh. "_My power does not include deja-vu… I do not know what it is you speak of._"

'What? Is this a trick?' She was utterly perplexed. "Then how did you know who I was?"

"_A hunter always knows its prey…_"

He began to glide towards her once more, and Yuffie shot him through the chest. The enemy stopped, but not from pain; instead, he merely paused in his tracks to look down at the black hole gouged through his torso.

"Stay the hell away from me!" she shouted, fear tearing at her heart once more.

"_And what makes you think I will comply?_" the demon asked amusedly. "_I am a _demon_, as you say, after all_."

Yuffie glared, a chill running down her spine at the bitter entertainment in his tone.

He revealed an eroded digit to point at the unconscious man in her arms. "_But I wonder… if you hate demons so much, then why is it you cling to _that_ one so dearly?_"

Yuffie glanced down at Vincent; a peaceful countenance displayed on his pale, yet handsome, face.

Memories of him flooded her mind, and she didn't understand why she looked at him the way she did; a deep compassion filled her gaze. He had always been her greatest friend and personal hero, mainly because they shared so much in common. When she had been accepted into Avalanche, she had never really felt like an essential part of the group. Vincent was the same way, the same social pariah as herself. Their lack of real friendship and confidence in the others made them more compatible with one another. Yuffie held Vincent in the highest respect, even if he was rather bitter at times; she always assumed he had the right to be, considering the hardships in his past. Too often had she seen him struggle with his inner demon over the few years she had known him. Painfully she would watch him seclude himself from the rest of the group to further battle against the foreign foe relentlessly haunting his mind. She had always wished there was something she could do to ease the agony of it all; there was nothing, though, nothing could ease his suffering. Yet strangely, the ninja was drawn to the ex-Turk—something about him made her wonder if a force stronger than friendship was even possible…

"_Ah, a demon he is… and yet you criticize me?_"

Yuffie snapped back to reality, glaring into the billowing black hood. "He didn't _choose _to have this curse! It was _forced _into him!"

"_And still you protect him? The evil within him is even almost greater than my own. But I do not fear him... for he does not know how to control his demon, which makes him predictable… and vulnerable. He has not embraced it… not yet, at least._"

"Vincent will never give in! He's stronger than that!"

Lightning struck the sky as a rumbling chuckle resonated from the dark depths of the demon's fluttering cloak. "_Do not be fooled… the demonic lust for power is an intense craving not even _he _can resist._"

"You're lying!"

"_Care to find out?_"

The nightmare nemesis outstretched his mutant hand toward Vincent, and began to murmur something in a deep tone. The gunman in Yuffie's arms began to twitch and then writhe. What was the demon doing to him? She stared in horror as Vincent began to convulse and thrash about in her hold.

"Stop it! Stop it!" she screamed at her opponent.

There was suddenly a fierce grip tightening around her throat. Yuffie opened her mouth to breathe, but only choked on the lack of oxygen. All the blood pummeled through her temples and forced a painful pressure on her brain. She desperately flailed her arms at the metal claw which now held her firmly in its grasp.

Pure black spilled over crimson irises, raging with demonic desire, and porcelain skin faded into ash gray.

"_Kill her…_" the demon cajoled ruthlessly.

Yuffie's feet now dangled above the ground as Vincent hoisted her high in the air.

"Vin… cent…" she rasped, tightly clutching his gauntleted wrist.

A frown formed on his dark countenance at the sound of his name.

'Chaos.'

"_Kill her!_" the demon continued to urge. Vincent's fingers curled tighter around her small neck, giving her body a slight jerk.

The ninja remained lithe in his menacing grip. Her head felt as though it might burst with all the blood pressure building up in her cranium. Bright colors clouded her vision before bleeding into a white haze; she was quickly succumbing to her light-headedness, reality slipping from the lack of oxygen.

"_Kill her! NOW!_"

"Vincent!"

The possessed assailant whipped his head in the direction of the familiar voice as Yuffie's eyes began to loll with her faint hold on consciousness.

A blur of red attacked the half-naked gunman, knocking him on his back and releasing the Wutainian princess. She collapsed into the cold snow, gasping in large breaths of sweet air, and hardly noticing the burning in her throat.

Distant footsteps crunched through the snow towards her.

"Y'alright there, kid?" Yuffie had never been so relieved to hear Cid's voice. "Yuffie?"

When she had given him no answer, the pilot grabbed one of her arms and threw it over his shoulder before pulling her to her feet. As she rose, she noticed Cloud and Barret standing a few yards away, intently watching Cid assist her through the icy powder. Swinging her head to the side, Yuffie saw that Nanaki was pinning a motionless Vincent to the ground.

"Grab Vincent," Cloud quietly told Barret. The spiky blonde turned to Yuffie with a concerned countenance. "What happened?"

'I'm great, thanks for asking…' Yuffie thought, rolling her eyes.

"Maybe we should save the questioning for later," Nanaki insisted warily. "I feel an eerie presence nearby."

That's when it hit Yuffie. Why weren't they fighting that demon who had possessed Vincent? Wide eyes frantically searched the snowy atmosphere; the demon had vanished.

Fear wrenched her mind, feeling as thought it may tear it in two—the magnitude of the pain increased greatly; this was not fear, this was the searing agony she had felt not too long ago.

Yuffie screamed shrilly, fists slamming against her temples as she fell to her knees.

'_We _will_ meet again, princess_…'

The intensity of her pain rose even higher and she screamed even louder; it was an excruciating torture that split through her skull until she finally blacked out.

**So basically had to wrap this scene up, give you guys a little insight of Yuffie's growing feelings for Vincent, and whatnot ;) Anyway, I apologize again for the long delay, and I have already begun the next chapter (and I won't promise a soon update, because we all know how that ends up- lol), but I will try to do my best to get it done as soon as possible! Thanks for reading, and review to lemme know what you thought! XD**

_** Coquettish Siren**_


	7. Chapter 7: Questions and Confusion

**CHAPTER 7: Question and Confusion  
**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own any of the FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.  
**

**_Author's Note_: Holy Moly I am so sorry!! I kept trying to decide if I was going to continue with this chapter, or just stop-- obviously, I decided to stop due to a mild case of writer's block! AH! No worries, though.. a cure is on the way ;) Anyway, new chappie, and I deeply apologize for the delay! Enjoy!**

--Y--

Yuffie's mind felt like a dying fire; although the flames had desisted, the scorching heat remained. She moaned slightly at the dull throb as her sleep-heavy lids fluttered open to meet a faintly lit room. A small lamp in the far corner served as the only bit of illumination as she quickly realized that she was back in her room on the airship.

Peering through the dimness, she could just barely make out the two dark silhouettes of her comrades; Cloud sat in a chair opposite her bed, whereas Barret leaned against the wall beside her.

"She's awake," the Avalanche leader's quiet voice sounded from across the room.

Barret glanced over at the awakened Yuffie, and stood to hover over the bed. "Hey, kid… How ye' feelin?"

"Like I was hit by a train…" Yuffie's voice cracked from lack of use. She absentmindedly rubbed a palm against her forehead. "How long have I been out?"

Barret shifted his weight onto one leg. "Err… couple days now."

Silver eyes widened and she released a shaky breath. "Oh wow…"

"Yeah… scared the shit outta us with all that screamin. Didn' think you were ever gonna wake up after doin' that…"

Yuffie nodded slightly, trying to remember all that had happened before she had been rendered unconscious. "How's Vincent?"

"Err… well…" Barret looked over to Cloud nervously. "Don' really know…"

Yuffie observed him worriedly. "What do you mean?"

"Well… he hasn' woken up either. That lil' transfermation stunt he pulled took 'lot outta 'im," the gun-armed man told her uneasily.

"Where is he? I wanna see him!" the Wutainian princess insisted anxiously. She tried to raise her torso from the mattress, but was gently pushed back down by Barret's strong hand.

"Whoa, there, kid… take it easy," Barret said. "Yer not in any condition to go walkin' 'round."

"But-" she croaked. 'I want to see him! I _need _to see him!'

"Vincent may be unstable, Yuffie. Had we come any later you would have already been dead," Cloud interjected, rising from his chair. "We can't take any risks at the moment."

"But it wasn't his fault! Vincent didn't act on will!" Yuffie exclaimed, sitting up and dodging the hand that reached out to restrain her back to the bed. "It was -"

"Chaos," Cloud cut her off. "We know -"

"No! You don't know _anything_!" she shouted, enraged by all the persistent interruptions (it was just so typical of Cloud to talk to her like a child, like she was a naiive teenager). "You're not listening to me! Vincent was possessed by the demon who attacked us; not Chaos!"

"Demon?" Barret asked, frowning at her.

"Oh my gawd!" Yuffie sighed irritably and rolled her eyes. "The creepy crypt keeper dude! Black cloak, no face? Hel-_lo_?!"

A bewildered silence answered her as the ninja looked from the confused look on Barret's face to the perplexity of Cloud's.

"…Yuffie, the only demon we saw was Vincent's," the dark-skinned man told her quietly.

"What?" she gasped in incredulity. "He was standing just a few feet from us! How could you _not_ see him?!"

The bedroom door swung open, allowing the obnoxiouosly loud pilot to intrude.

"Whoa...," he said awkwardly. "Err... didn' mean to interrupt, but, er, I need ya guys to come look at somethin."

"You two go ahead. I'll only be a little longer," Cloud insisted.

The dark-skinned man nodded to the ex-SOLDIER before looking back to Yuffie. "Glad to see yer awake, kid… we'll talk with yeh later."

Yuffie gave him a faint smile, permitting him to leave. When the slam of the door signaled Cid and Barret's leave, Yuffie focused her attention back on the Avalanche leader.

"There was no one else," Cloud stated thoughtfully, as if he were speaking aloud to himself.

Yuffie shook her head in disbelief. "No… there _was _a demon there! He was forcing Chaos to oppress Vincent!"

The blonde knitted his brows together, thinking deeply on the subject.

"I _saw _him, Cloud! So did Vincent!" she cried. "I _swear_ I'm not making this up!"

Cloud gave her a quick nod. "I believe you... But we'll have to talk about this later. Until then, I don't want to take any chances. Especially in Vincent's current condition, I don't think it would be at all wise to see him… we aren't sure what else he may be capable of."

"It wasn't Vincent who was hurting me, though!"

"Yuffie," Cloud's tone was stern and warning. "Chaos is a large part of Vincent. If a demon _is_ possessing Chaos to harm you, then I don't want to take any risks that may end up endangering your life." He turned his face away from her as a painful expression quickly formed. "We've already had one fatality..."

The Wutainian princess looked empathetically upon the broken man. "We don't know that, Cloud," she told him with difficulty.

He exhaled sadly, "Don't we?"

The blonde warrior fled the room hastily before his sadness had the chance to completely overwhelm him, leaving Yuffie to sit in silence.

'Poor guy... I know he blames himself. He feels he should have been there to protect her …' She let her head fall back against the softness of her pillow in exhaustion. 'When really… it was me who failed…'

Yuffie close her fatigued eyes…

_The bright sun beamed down from the cerulean sky, shedding a golden radiance upon Yuffie's face as she stood atop Da Chao in a sleek white gown. A soft breeze blew threw her waist-long hair, fluttering its onyx locks across her porcelain face and tickling her bare arms. A sweet dewy fragrance of the freshly bloomed sakura cherry blossoms emanated through the air with every zephyr._

_As she looked over the small village below, smiling faintly at its peacefulness and subtle tranquility, a fiery ache burned within her chest. Frowning, she placed her hands over her heart in wonder._

_What is this strange feeling? Longing?_

_She eased her eyes shut, enjoying the warmth of spring which surrounded her and caressed her body with tenderness. Leaning against the wind, she felt strong hands smooth over her forearms lovingly before securing themselves around her body in a protective embrace._

_"You promised…," she heard a familiar voice whisper in her ear. It was so soft and gentle, as opposed to its normal harshness and monotone._

_Yuffie frowned slightly and turned to face her ardent guardian._

_It was not who she had thought._

_A tall man with short black hair had enveloped her within his arms. He had a very handsome face, even though his eyes were cast downward at the ground in some unidentifiable shame. The Wutainian princess hardly noticed as she continued to awe at the charming man before her._

_'Gods, who is this beautiful man?'_

_Hesitant fingers reached up to explore his soft, youthful face and comb through his silky raven hair; but not a single sign of movement came in response to her actions. Her silver orbs traveled down his muscular form, and her hands became numb upon noticing the navy-blue suit he donned._

_'A Turk!'_

_Quickly withdrawing her hands from him, Yuffie pushed herself out of his tight grasp and took a few hurried steps backwards onto shattered glass._

_'Glass?'_

_Glancing down in bewilderment as the rigid shards bit through her sensitive skin, she watched as crimson liquid oozed from her feet out onto the ground._

_The wind cooled significantly as it started to pick up a harsh speed, wildly lashing her long hair across her face with stinging force. Darkness replaced the azure sky as thunder rumbled through the atmosphere in an angry torrent._

_The ninja peered through her own ebony locks, which flailed about chaotically in front of her, obscuring her vision. She could just barely make out the silhouette of the Turk a few yards away. His back was arched and his fists tightly balled as an excruciating pain etched all over his face. Horrified, Yuffie watched as black leathery wings sprouted violently from his shoulder blades and encircled themselves around his torso in a demonic cocoon._

_Reluctantly taking another step back on the sheet of razor edges, Yuffie silently winced at the piercing cuts sinking deeper into her delicate skin. The Turk finally snapped his head up to glare at her with fury—raging flames substituted eyes and he exhaled smoldering breaths of smoke; it was as if his internal body had been set ablaze._

_'…A demon?'_

_He drew in a deep breath, his face flickering with the inferno beneath it. He blew out a scorching wave of heat at Yuffie's face. Just as she felt the sizzling gust sear her flesh…_

Yuffie bolted upright from the mattress, her body electrocuted with the shock of fear from the nightmare. Cold sweat perspired down her exposed neck and arms, sending uncomfortable pricks down her spine. She clutched at her hammering heart upon familiarizing with her environment, easing it back to a normal pulse.

'I swear I'm an insomniac…' She buried her forehead within her trembling palms. 'Gods, what is wrong with me?'

A bright red light began to flash from the far corner of the ceiling, revolving its rays from one side of the room to the other.

The loud recording blasted through the airship intercom. "Alert. Malfunction in Sector 2. Alert. Malfunction in Sector 2."

'Sector 2? But that's the -' An epiphany sparked the ninja's mind. "Oh _shit_!"

Throwing the heavy sheets off of her, she stood to her feet, and donned a large sweatshirt resting on the nightstand. She hurried to the door and peeking outside, she looked both ways to make sure all was clear of the Avalanche crew. Closing the door behind her, she ran down the hallway in the direction of Sector 2, the Recovery Wing...

**Hehe... cliffie anyone? Once again I apologize for the long delay! But I assure you a new chapter WILL be posted next week-- Spring Break! Woohoo! Welp, have a good one, and please, as always, lemme know what you thought of the chapter (yay? nay?)! I promise some excitement in the next chappie!! YAY!**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	8. Chapter 8: The Demon Within

**CHAPTER 8: The Demon Within**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own FFVII characters, ideas, worlds, etc.**

**_Author's Note_: Okay, okay… I had minor writer's block—but hopefully I redeem myself with the content of this chapter. I apologize for not having updated sooner, but hey, at least I didn't wait forever and half to update (like last time). Anywho! Hope you like it!! Enjoy!**

--Y--

Upon reaching the Recovery Wing, shattered glass spread out upon the floor in a glossy sheet—the memory of her nightmare fleeted across her mind for a moment. The sight of blood freckling the shiny shards made Yuffie panic.

She crept across the sea of glass, hoping not to spook Vincent, wherever he may be. Slowly she made her way towards the next corridor, careful as to not make too much noise as she followed a weak trail of scarlet footprints.

Yuffie froze at the sound of a faint growl behind her. Fearfully turning around, she faced the demonic Vincent. Those romantically crimson eyes were now set ablaze with rage, and his whole body darkened nefariously with each deep huff. Blood smeared all over his arms and feet where small gashes had bit into his flesh.

Cloud's voice engraved in her mind, _"…we aren't sure what else he may be capable of…"_

The ex-Turk arched his back in pain and a powerful roar ripped through his vocal cords. Then, as if he was being violently shoved from behind, Vincent flung forward onto all fours.

Yuffie made a small movement as if to run to him, but she thought better of the action and corrected her step.

Another growl reverberated throughout the hallway. He was struggling so hard to maintain control over himself; she could tell that he kept fighting for psychological superiority.

"Vincent…?" She tried to maintain an even and fearless tone, but her voice trembled regardless.

Flaring orbs pierced soft silver in a vehement stare. "Yu-ffie!" – he winced in pain, as though he had been electocuted – "Get… out of… here! …_Now_!"

"No." Although still rather frightened, Yuffie held a somewhat brave composure.

"Yuffie!" he snarled in warning.

"I'm not leaving," she spoke with a more courageous tone. "You can fight this, Vincent. I know you can."

One heavy fist slammed hard against the floor in frustration, cracking the tiles beneath it. "I'm… losing… con-trol…"

"Don't give in, Vincent! You're stronger than that!" Yuffie cried. She wanted so badly to run to his side and hold him tightly, to help encage the demon trying desperately to break free—but her apprehension took the better of her and cemented her to where she stood.

"I... I'm..."

Quick-paced footsteps clogged against the floor behind her.

"Yuffie!" she heard Cloud shout. "What the hell are you doing?! Get away from him!"

She raised her hand in the air to silence him. "Wait."

Although he was still breathing rather raggedly, Vincent's demonic tantrum was ceasing. The fury and rage pent up within his robust form dissipated, making him a little more lax. His body shook with fatigue as he heaved air into his lungs, trying to gain control over himself. It was with immense strain in which he attempted to stand, clawing desperately at the wall for assistance. Just when his knees gave out and gravity began to pull him down, Yuffie was beneath one arm, bolstering him up with her petite, yet tough, frame.

Bullets of sweat ran down Valentine's face and neck, and his body convulsed uncontrollably. The Wutainian princess held him tightly around the torso and kept her back strong to support his weight.

"You're okay, Vince. I got you," she cooed in a whisper only he could hear. Glancing up at the armed men just yards away, Yuffie gave a brief nod for reassurance.

"Damn it, Yuffie," Cloud told her disdainfully after Barret had relieved the young woman of her burden. "I told you, he's _dangerous_!"

She scowled at him. "He obviously needed help, Cloud! What the hell was I supposed to do? Sit in my room and let him surrender to the beast?"

"You could've been killed! You have _no _idea how serious this is, do you?" the blonde shouted.

"All he needed was some encouragement! If you would just –"

"That might not be enough next time, Yuffie! He was _barely_ holding on! Had he been any weaker _physically_, Chaos would've taken full control!" Cloud fumed. "You don't even have a weapon! What the hell were you thinking?!"

Why was he getting so angry at her? She realized that being defenseless while encountering a demon probably wasn't the smartest idea, but she was just acting on impulse to save her friend. Was it so wrong to be concerned? To care? Isn't self-sacrifice worth saving another?

_Early the Next Morning…_

"How's he doin'?" Barret asked eagerly when Shera had exited the room where Vincent was resting.

Yuffie anxiously worried for the response. "Is he okay?"

Shera sighed. "He's quite fatigued—his body is so exhausted from the excessive strain he's endured over the past week. He literally used every ounce of his strength to hold off the transformation."

"Do you think it might be the poison that is makin' him act this way?" Cid asked, biting down on his cigarette.

"Poison?" Bewilderment outlined Shera's features. "Vincent isn't poisoned."

"Huh? But that day we were attacked, Vince got cut up and –"

"That's right!" Yuffie exclaimed suddenly, eyes widening with the new thought. "We never gave him the antidote!"

Cid nodded in agreement, his face puzzled. "I don' get it, though. How is he not poisoned anymore?"

The pilot's wife thought for a moment before suggesting, "I think that the demonic aura fighting to surface burned it out of him."

Yuffie gave her a questioning look. "…Meaning?"

"When Vincent turns into Chaos, he takes on a higher level of strength and endurance," Shera explained. "Chaos is like Vincent's remedial form; that's how he is immortal and how he is able to heal himself so quickly. Chaos, like most demons, are associated with fire—that's why when Vincent transforms, a large flame engulfs his body. This flame, which is called 'Chi,' heals all and any abnormalities that the demon's host possesses."

"But Vincent didn't fully transform," Yuffie spoke thoughtfully.

"The Chi fuels within the body before the transformation, eradicating all defects so the demon is healthy for battle." Shera smiled before turning to her still-perplexed husband. "Therefore, Vincent is not poisoned. In fact, he's completely healthy… minus the fatigue."

Yuffie looked through the large window at the ex-Turk sleeping peacefully in the hospital bed. 'Thank Leviathan, you're alright…'

_Four Hours Later…_

A metallic claw brushed Yuffie's forearm; its cool surface against her warm skin woke her with a slight shiver.

Raising her head from her folded arms on the bed, she smiled wearily at the handsome man gazing back at her with crimson eyes.

"Hey," Yuffie whispered groggily. "How you feeling?"

"Better," Vincent replied in a frank, but somewhat caring, tone. "And you?"

"I'm good… real glad to see you doing well." Her smiled broadened. 'What is wrong with me? Why am I smiling so big?'

As a long silence passed between the two, Yuffie was just beginning to feel uncomfortable until Vincent said quietly, "I'm sorry..."

Her smile lessened and she frowned slightly in confusion.

"…for hurting you," he continued, sadly casting his beautiful red orbs down at his claw. "I lost control..."

"It's not your fault. You were –"

"Don't," he said firmly, his cold monotone returning. "Don't vindicate me. I don't deserve it. I nearly killed you."

Yuffie knitted her brows. "And you don't believe in forgiveness?"

The gunman intently met her gaze for a moment, contemplating his retort.

She placed a hand gently on his human hand. His eyes widened at the action, and he seemed unsure of what to do, how to react. Reassuring silver eyes softened at his painful guilt, alleviating his anguish.

"I'm fine." She smiled faintly again and lifted his open palm to her cheek to emphasize her point. "It _wasn't _your fault, so don't go adding it to your list of sins. I'm alive, Vincent… I forgive you."

It was strange to be talking to him in such a manner; never had Yuffie seemed so caring or endearing for someone. Who knew that she could mature so quickly? 'I just wish I could make him see… make him _feel_… make him _happy_… But he never lets anyone in.'

Yuffie wanted to hold his hand there forever, it felt so soft and endearing; but reluctantly she let go.

'Oh, who am I kidding? He still dwells on his past… on his _Lucrecia_. Little Yuffie Kisaragi can't compete with that. Even if she _is _dead, I'm no match for her when it comes to touching his heart…'

Subtle movement against her face brought her back to the present instantly. Vincent was lightly caressing her porcelain cheek—he had never broke the skin contact. Kisaragi hid her shock behind a mask of fragile adoration as she bored into that countenance which revealed no blatant emotion.

He was impassive at times like these…

'But Gods, he is beautiful…' His long hair had been released from its usual scarlet headband, leaving the raven locks to be tousled in front of is face. He looked so incredibly stunning; every single detail, every single feature, made Yuffie's heart skip a beat.

'…I'm just physically attracted to him, that's all. I don't _really _like him…'

Valentine's gentle fingers swept back a strand of her ebony hair behind one ear before the trailed down her neck and smoothed over her shoulder.

That one little caress provoke a shiver a shiver to ripple down her spine, and caused her chest to be pummeled by her rapidly beating heart.

A small hint of a knowing smile tugged at Vincent's lips, and Yuffie blushed immensely.

"I-I should probably go help Cloud… s-see if there's anything I can do," she stammered embarrassedly, tearing her eyes away from his. Before Vincent could get the chance to protest, the young ninja was quickly on her feet, and making haste towards the door.

"…Yuffie?" that lovely velvet voice called, enchanting her and forcing her to stop as her hand clutched the door handle.

Masking her true feelings once more, Yuffie cocked her head back to innocently look at Vincent.

His emotionless expression did not justify his soft tone. "Thank you… for caring as much as you do."

The adoring young woman smiled and nodded to her lifetime hero before disappearing behind the door.

**Hooray for Yuffie and Vincent!! Not sure if I like my diction a whole lot in this chapter, so I may be rewriting this one (editing, I mean)! But yeah, got a little one-on-one action in there for ya! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, some more fluff coming in the next few chapters as well. And I realize there's still a lot to explain, such as why this demon is haunting Yuffie, and why he is possessing Vincent, and if the guy who captured Tifa is the same guy who is attacking Yuffie. But no worries, because I WILL explain them all—all part of the plot! Muahaha!! Thanks for reading, and please lemme know what you think!! **

** _Coquettish Siren_**


	9. Chapter 9: Shining Through

**CHAPTER 9: Shining Through**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**Sorry for the WAY belated update… life's just a **_**tad **_**stressful at the moment, and it will most likely be that way for the next month. I know you hate me for it, and I'm VERY sorry. BUT I will do my best to keep updating within the 2 week limit. Anywho, hope you don't hate me too much because here's the next chapter! Hooray! Enjoy!**

--Y--

Twinkling stars littered the vast darkness of the night sky, producing beautiful rays of color amongst the various clusters. It had been years since Yuffie had seen so many stars; each one glinting proudly in its own black vicinity.

Leaning against the balcony railing, she inhaled the sweet scent of fresh mountain air as the cool wind blew through her short hair. She watched as the mountain ranges below peacefully swept by beneath the Sierra as it quietly made its flight north. She had grown accustomed to flying on the airship; her motion sickness no longer a problem after the fourth or fifth trip on the flying mechanism.

'Three years ago, I would've been glued to this railing.' She chuckled softly at the thought.

She truly had grown since she first joined Avalanche—an immature teenager no longer. Given, she did have her childish moments, but that was just her bubbly personality. Yuffie Kisaragi had grown immensely over the past few years, but to her, it seemed that no one would ever notice—she would always be labeled 'the brat.' She never dwelled on the idea too much, though, assuming its importance would one day become apparent and eventually prove everyone wrong.

Gripping the top rail of the metal barrier and placing her feet on the lowest wrung, Yuffie leaned forward into the open air and closed her eyes, trying to breathe in as much of that crispy refreshment as possible. She had never realized how blissfully intoxicating the aroma of the mountains was at this time of night. With every swift rush of wind cooling her face, all thoughts and worries seemed to dissipate into the night air.

"…So peaceful," Yuffie said quietly into the current of air. Unveiling precious platinum orbs, she looked back over her shoulder knowingly. "Wouldn't you say, Vince?"

The stoic man's tall silhouette could just barely be seen within the shadows of the deck's metal awning. Judging by his lack of movement, she could tell he was impressed.

A sly grin slid across her face. "What? Didn't think I knew you were there?"

"It seems I've lost my stealthy touch," he replied in his smooth, deep voice. Vincent walked up next to her, leaning his back against a thick pipe.

"Well, when you sneak up on me as much as you do, I start to catch on pretty quick." Yuffie laughed quietly and pointed to herself in feigned arrogance. "After all, Vinny, I _am _a ninja…"

He winced at the dreaded nickname. "It's nice to see that some things never change," he said amusedly.

"And by that you mean sweet, funny, and _devilishly_ _chawming_?" She emphasized her last words with a dramatic flip of her short silken hair.

Vincent half-smiled at the absurd behavior. "Among _other_ things, I suppose."

"Hey!" Yuffie scowled at him playfully, lightly slapping the back of her hand against his guarded chest. He chuckled deeply at her feeble attempt to hurt him. "What are you doing out here anyway? Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Among other mako-enhanced attributes, I have the ability to heal myself rather quickly," he explained optimistically. "Therefore, Shera's medicine and hospitality are unnecessary."

"Yeah, whatever... show off," Yuffie teased, flicking his arm. Vincent smiled at her, amuzed by her theatrics.

That beautiful smile had the tendency to make her weak in the knees and her heart melt. To refrain from falling victim to his enchanting face, she directed her face once more against the night breeze, closing her eyes to savor the moment.

'Why is he so damn handsome? Gods, I can't even breathe with him standing right next to me! I'm so pathetic… I promised to never fall so hard for someone. But I guess you can't always help what you feel. Especially when it comes to something as powerful as love.'

Love: the fearful word which threatened to kill her. It was scary to think about considering the fact that she had never felt this way before, and that wearing her heart on her sleeve may injure her severely. But there was no use trying to disprove it anymore; the way she acted around Vincent, the way she cared for him, it all added up to that one feeling when she really thought about it. Yuffie was falling in love with Vincent.

'But how? It's not even mutual… I can't-'

"Why the frown?"

Yuffie opened her eyes instantly at the odd question and perplexedly stared at the man beside her. "What?"

"You were frowning," he told her.

"Oh," she replied quietly, slightly embarrassed as she nervously combed a hand through her hair. "Err… just thinking is all."

She drew in an unsteady breath, averting her gaze to the crescent moon, and secretly thanked for the darkness of the night for hiding the heat that had risen to her cheeks.

--V--

Although she tried to hide it, Vincent could tell she was blushing. Had she been thinking of him? He cursed himself for the thought. Who, in their right mind, would ever think of _him_? Vincent Valentine, Lord of Darkness; a ruthless, impassive, and bitter man. What good comes from a person with those disdainful qualities?

'I cannot permit myself any leniency when it comes to matters of the heart. I don't deserve that kind of care.' He shook his head in agreement with his thoughts. 'No one should have to bear the haunting of my burdening past… I am broken, and will forever remain so.'

"Are _you_ alright?" Yuffie's melodic voice quietly sang in his ears.

Crimson eyes met with platinum, and the look on her beautiful face was enough to make Vincent's heart clench painfully. Of all of the adorable expressions the young woman conveyed, _that_ look she wore was one that warmed his soul and set his entire being afire; it was her look of complete concern and wholly innocence.

"I'm fine." He responded in a tone that was much harsher than he had intended.

"…Okay," she said just above a whisper, as though she were trying not to irritate the beast.

The ex-Turk clamped his eyes shut remorsefully after she had once again broken their eye contact. Why did he always have to be so rough? Each time he came within reach of something gentle, he always seemed to shatter it effortlessly.

'My past has defined my personality. Twenty years of dormant retribution and repent has created the monster I have become.'

He pried his eyes open to longingly gaze upon the youthful beauty before him. The sight was almost unbearable; she was so virtuous, so pure, so cheerful—all things that he was not. She was the epitome of Aphrodite, an angel in disguise. How could there ever be something between them? It did not matter if he yearned for that kind of peace, that kind of _love_, he knew he wasn't worthy of such valuable pleasantries.

'Why must I suffer in such purgatory?' He desperately wished to reach out and touch the porcelain skin which glowed with the silver beams of faint moonlight. To caress that soft and succulent flesh that was full and lively with her athletic youth.

"…Vince?"

"Yes?" He looked up to meet Yuffie's curious stare. She looked so chaste in that moment, like the immaculate child she was—or, at least to him she was; he desperately tried to forbid himself to see her as anything more.

'How long has she been staring at me?'

The Wutainian princess stepped down from the railing and rested her back against it. "Do you remember anything about that day we were attacked? That demon?"

It was a peculiar question to ask, and the stoic man was unsure of his answer, but judging by the look on her face, it seemed to be a bothersome memory. To him, however, it was such an obscurity since he had been partially aware of what he was doing due to the rushing poison in his veins. He thought hard for a moment, trying to recapture the events of that day, trying to remember all he could of what had happened.

"I vaguely recall shooting at that cloaked monster… why do you ask?"

Yuffie sighed, shaking her head. "Just needed confirmation that it wasn't all in my head."

Crimson orbs surveyed her suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

"Well…," she paused to frown at the ground, "I've been having these bizarre dreams lately… and what's really strange about them, is that it's always the same every night, the same nightmares."

Vincent just studied her in bewilderment. What was she talking about?

"That demon we encountered that day… it was the first time _you_ had seen him." Platinum locked its gaze with scarlet.

"What?"

"I'm very familiar with him. He's the haunting perpetrator in my nightmares." Yuffie spoke painfully as she confessed her secret. "They've disturbed my sleep for a few months now."

Vincent remained silent, staring at her in disbelief while listening intently.

"I don't understand why I continue having them, but I think they may be warning me. I can't but feel like something bad is going to happen very soon. It's as if a few days ago was only a small taste of what's really to come."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" He was slightly angered by the fact that she had not told _him_, of all people; who understood the eerie and the haunted better than he?

"I don't know… I guess I never really saw them as a threat until we were attacked. I didn't think it was real… until I saw _him_."

"You should have said something, Yuffie." His care hardened into sternness. "It's very careless of you to keep secrets from us."

The princess looked at him incredulously, quite taken aback by his sudden bitterness. "It wasn't a secret, Vincent! I just didn't know! You can't expect me to predict the future through something I don't understand!"

"Telling someone about your troubles would have been a good start," his voice rose a little, his monotone growing colder with each word. "It's unlike you to suppress your feelings."

"I just _told _you!" she cried, throwing her hands in the air in frustration.

Vincent's chest was heaving heavily now. "I meant _sooner_," he hissed through gritted teeth. "_Before _we were attacked and Chaos took over."

Why was he getting so mad at her? She had just told him the truth and now he was scolding her for things she had no control over.

She scowled at him for how deeply he had offended her. "Why are you getting so butt-hurt over this? Are you _really _mad that I didn't tell anyone a long time ago, or is just because I didn't tell _you_?"

He grasped a firm hold on his control and replied coolly, "I could care less."

"Good. Then it's a relief you don't have to worry," she spat ruthlessly in her sarcastic tone. "Leviathan forbid you should ever _feel_ a damn thing for _me_, or _anyone_ for that matter. Lucky for you, your bitterness and cold heart allow you no close connections or sense of emotion."

A rough whip cracked against his rapidly beating heart. She had stunned him with her vicious words. '…But were they really so vicious?' She had a good point, but neither could _he _form the words to express why was reacting the way he was.

Vincent lowered his eyes in shame. She was right, he was being ridiculous and just the regular old Vincent with a heart of ice. Candidly in his monotone he spoke, "Good night."

--Y--

'How did it end up like this? This isn't exactly the reaction I thought I would get… I thought he'd be a little bit more considerate of how I felt.'

Silver eyes followed the crimson-cloaked figure quickly retreating towards the open door in silence. She was appalled by his behavior, and yet she pitied him. Vincent would never willingly show emotion to her or anyone else, for his heart had been ripped to shreds many years ago. From seeing his reaction, she knew she had struck a nerve. She never really knew when enough was enough, thus causing her to say more than she should. She was much too stubborn to ever realize it until after the fact. But what she said had made sense; he was always cruel when someone tried to get close, it was his defense mechanism against the potential threats.

'Oh, stop dwelling on him, Yuffie! He's not yours to have, anyway. He's so narrow-minded that he'll probably never realize how you feel about him.' She inhaled a quivering breath. 'Vincent will never understand; he will never let go of his past to focus on the present… and that's what hurts the most, this unrequited feeling.'

Tears stung her eyes at the loss of hope. She tilted her head back, and biting her bottom lip, fought the urge to cry. She took a few deep breaths, regaining some control before she also decided to retire for the night.

She had just divulged to Vincent her deepest fear, and he had only cared for himself in the matter; him and her loyalty as his friend. It wouldn't be long until the rest of the crew found out about her so-called 'secret,' and then all Hell would break loose. She could only imagine the reaction she would get from Cloud; of all the members of Avalanche, Yuffie feared him the most—especially in his unstable emotional state.

**Hehe… what'd you think? Little more fluff.. and SO MUCH MORE to come!! Hooray! Welp, hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think! Thank you for reading!!**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	10. Chapter 10: A Mask Unveiled

**CHAPTER 10: A Mask Unveiled**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**Yay for the 10****th**** chapter!! WOOHOO! And I know all of you are just as ecstatic as I am ;) I'm aware that this story moves rather slowly, but it should pick up a bit now that I'm getting to some more explanations. Alrighty, now I gotta write two essays for AP English, and build a hotdog cooker for Trig/PreCalc (I know, I dunno understand it either). Welp, have a good week y'all, and I hope you like the new chapter! Enjoy!**

--Y--

'Ugh! And I thought _Cid _was an ass!' Yuffie huffed as she made her way back to her room. 'I told him my troubles, and he threw it in my face! What an _ass_!'

She halted her quick stomps mid-step. "Dammit…" she groaned. 'I forgot Vince and I share a room.'

"Great," she sighed before trudging the rest of the way to her destination.

Yuffie carefully opened the door, closing it just as silently behind her as she entered the dark living quarters. Peering through the pitch black she could just barely make out the faint silhouette of Vincent in his sleeping bag on the floor beside her bed.

When she looked upon that handsome face, all previous thoughts of his insults fled her conscience. All that remained was a heartthrob and a hero, _her _hero, the one who lived immortally solely to repent—which made her wonder: Was he only a hero because he had to be? Was it the only way to right his wrongs? Of all the times Yuffie was danger, it was always Vincent who came to her rescue (which had earned the gunman to be mentally dubbed as her 'Knight in Crimson Cloak.'). Was it truly for the sake of forgiveness? She did not know all the details of his past, and she didn't need to; she was determined to make him realize that he was loved regardless of his faults, if he even possessed any.

"…Vince?" she whispered, making sure that he was indeed in deep slumber. When he gave no reply she held her breath and tiptoed toward her bed, catching sight of the stoic man's peaceful expression. Gods, he was beautiful when he slept.

'When _isn't _Vincent Valentine beautiful?'

Every trait and every feature, chiseled impeccably like that of a godly marble statue. She just wished she could melt that thick ice barrier guarding his heart; but alas, it was false hope.

"If only you knew... I'd show you happiness," she exhaled quietly before succumbing to the comfort of her bed.

--V--

_Ten Minutes Prior..._

Vincent awaited the ninja's return to the bedroom, restless with contemplation. How could he have been so cruel to her? Whenever there was a moment Vincent felt happier, he always felt guilty—he felt he should be punished for past 'sins.' And in those moments, he pushed people away, shunned them, always reasoning with the fact that he was never 'worthy of such kindness,' or in Yuffie's case, he was 'too old.'

'I _cannot _and _will not _allow Yuffie to waste her heart on me… she deserves much more than this broken beast. I am already endangering her life just by sleeping here.'

'**Still in conflict as usual, I see.**' an animalistic voice huskily asked.

Vincent frowned at the mental intrusion. 'Chaos.' His jaw clenched, biting back the anger gradually building up within him. 'How _dare _you speak to me!'

'**Now, Now, Valentine. I do not believe-**'

'Don't play coy with me, you bastard! You could have _killed _her!'

'**Calm yourself, Host**,' the demon's tone was dark and hollow, making Vincent wince. '_**I **_**am****not to blame. Something darker than my demon meddles with your balance.**'

The ex-Turk settled his heavy breathing a little. 'What do you mean?'

'**That monster the woman was referring to. Her demonic power is far greater than any you've ever experienced.**'

'Be wary of your words, Chaos! Yuffie is _no _demon!' Vincent growled.

'**I was not speaking of **_**her**_**, Valentine. I was referring to Mara.**'

'A _female_ demon? But the demon we encountered was undeniably masculine.'

'**Or so she wanted you to believe. Mara is not just a mere demon, Valentine. She's a shapeshifting hellion-goddess, a master of illusion. Many of her talents usually include manipulation of some kind, physically **_**and**_** mentally. As you've noticed, she also has the ability to summon me forth against both our wills. She is very skilled in controlling the mind, hence her area of expertise. Unfortunately, our little encounter the other day was but a taste of her true potential.**'

'And what is her incentive to attacking _us_?'

'**All hunters have their reasons, Host. Revenge, desire, need... it's hard to decipher Mara's intentions. She was locked away within Da Chao a great many centuries ago by the Wutainian army. Multiple materia charms were inscribed on the mountain's peak to keep her oppressed… but she was bound to escape eventually- she's more than capable.**'

Vincent nodded in blind agreement with the demon before his brow raised in question. 'Then you truly were not acting on malicious will?'

'**Indeed. I was not.**' Chaos snorted mockingly. '**But do not misunderstand me, Host, I do not enjoy confinement within your petty body for eternity. Despite all my efforts, I cannot control you.**'

'Perhaps not, but you could have at least blocked Mara from invading my mind. I know your intellectual strength empowers mine.'

'**When in your human form, I cannot **_**lend**_** you my power without completely mutating. Thus, you were, and always will be, vulnerable due to your human traits.**'

'What about rapid healing and enhanced strength? Those are surely not from the mako…'

'**Unfortunately Miss Crescent's eager and ill attempt to bind our characteristics turned into a disaster. She did not have time to properly instill me within your body, hence causing the jarry collision of your mako-enhanced attributes and my demonic ones. We are a mutant, if you will.**'

'**And 'tis true that you and I are bound to each other, but we are not permitted to choose which attributes we trade. Unwillingly, I share your emotions and your pain, just as you possess my rejuvenation and strength.**'

'I see…' Vincent gave a brief nod, and sat thinking for a moment before inquiring. 'So how are we to find Mara without any sign of where she is?'

'**Can you not think of anything?**' Chaos inquired knowingly. '**Any**_**one**_'

A heavy weight tugged on the gunman's heart. Although he already knew, he was hoping Chaos would have a different option. '…Yuffie.'

The demon grinned evilly. '**Her nightmares are not just coincidental dreams. In fact, it's difficult to say **_**what **_**they are exactly. After Mara invaded the woman's mind, she must have left them in her wake unintentionally. They could be remnants of Mara's illusions, or they could possibly be ominous forebodings.**'

Vincent looked back over his shoulder at the empty and untidy bed where his adored ninja had slept, visualizing her precious face to be expressionless in a peaceful slumber.

'**There is no other choice, Host. If you want to find Mara, the path lies within the woman's mind.**'

The gunman rolled back over on his side, sighing to relieve the pain in his heart. "I know."

"…Vince?"

Her voice was so soft, like that of a lullaby he had long forgotten. He froze, quickly feigning sleep and trying to slow his pounding heart for fear she might hear its rapid beat.

'How did I not hear her come in?'

For what seemed like hours, Yuffie just stood there beside him as if she knew he was awake and she was waiting for him to own to the fact.

But then, with words so faint that only his distinctly heightened hearing could catch, the princess spoke, "If only you knew… I'd show you happiness."

Vincent's stomach knotted as his throbbing chest painfully suffocated his breath. Her words, although below a whisper, were filled with sadness, making him ache even more. She really did adore him, and even though he wasn't willing to admit it, he adored her in return.

In a parallel universe, he would have turned around and confessed his heart's desire without a moment's hesitation; kissed her and live a life of happiness. Sadly, this was a world of danger and pain—he suffered for a life he felt compelled to repent. To introduce anyone to _that_ would be cruel.

"No," he murmured, clamping his eyes shut to shun her beautiful face from his mind. 'I do not love her… I cannot love her… If I do, I'll ruin her.'

**Thank you SO much for reading, and I really do apologize for my delays in updates! I badly wish for this school year to END already! I graduate in 4 weeks!! 4 WEEKS too long, I tell you! Welp, I'm still doing the best I can to get these chapters out ASAP! Let me know what you think (as always), and leave me a review! XD**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	11. Chapter 11: Abandoned For Truth

**CHAPTER 11: Abandoned For Truth**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**Sorry I updated late this time, guys… I've been UBER busy with school, school, and MORE school. Why do teacher's insist on assigning massive amounts of homework the week before school gets out?? Lame. Anywho, new chappie, just for you!! XD Enjoy!**

--Y--

"Do you realize what you've done?!"

The ninja averted her guilty gaze away from the Avalanche leader's violent azure stare. She had beaten Vincent to the punch and told Cloud herself of the new uprising problem. Had she known he was going to blow it out of proportion, she would have refrained from telling him; he was just going ballistic on her. Unfortunately, she had a low tolerance for scolding and screaming, and her patience was currently thinning by the shout. The pent-up anger from the ex-Soldier's fuming was rapidly becoming a vehement rage deep within her, nearing dangerously towards boiling point.

"Did it not occur to you that you were putting _other _lives at risk?" his voice boomed throughout the bridge. "How could you be so selfish?"

Yuffie whipped her head up furiously. "_Selfish_? What the hell are you talking about?!"

Cloud's jaw clenched tightly. "I'm talking about the fact that you jeopardize everyone else's lives without warning!"

"I didn't know they were _real_, Cloud! They're _dreams_! I didn't think they needed a second glance!"

"Well look where that puts us now?" Strife shouted. "Now we _have_ to save your goddamn ass! We'll never find Tifa! Damn you, Yuffie! Damn you and your goddamn selfish–!"

Whatever restraint held Yuffie up to this point shattered with his cruel words.

The Avalanche leader was in a world of pain before he had even seen her fist rocketing at his face. Blankly he reached a hand up to the bruising cheekbone, fingers trailing over the blood where the corner of his lip had split. Even if he did glare at her in loathing, there was still an indescribable sadness behind his mako irises which justified his behavior, in a way, and made Yuffie feel some remorse. The warrior had crumbled, releasing all of his burden, all of his pain and anguish, unto her in a mass of blame. She felt badly for him, but still his words stung, crushing her self-esteem into a mound of worthlessness.

"Well, shit, Cloud! If I'm such a _Gods damned_ nuisance, then please don't feel compelled to help me! I don't need it anyways!" she spat, her chest heaving with each irate breath. She turned to face a gaping Cid, who, like Barret and Nanaki, witnessed the entire scene in shock. "Drop me off in Nibelheim… I'll find my own way back to Wutai."

The dark-skinned man recovered from his awe and stepped towards her. "Don' be stupid, kid. That's a hell of a ways away," he told her. "Plus, it ain' smart for you to be alone, now. You'll be an easy target without any backup."

Stubborn as she was, Yuffie held a firmly arrogant countenance. "I don't need your help."

"Yuffie-" Cid began in a warning tone.

"No," she interjected quickly, glaring at Cloud before catching the eyes of the rest of the crew. "I'm a ninja of Wutai. I can handle this myself."

_Two Hours Later…_

"**Nibelheim** arrival reached," a feminine voice sounded from the intercom.

Yuffie felt the airship come to a halt rather abruptly, flinging her petite form forward slightly.

Resilient to sudden stop, Yuffie took a deep breath as she sat down on her bed one last time. She glanced down at the perfectly coiled sleeping bag and neatly folded blanket on the floor beside her.

'For your sake especially, Vince, it's best that I leave. I've done enough harm to you as it is.' She shut her eyes painfully. 'He'll be grateful of my absence, anyway. I won't be here to endanger his life.' The thought sent a stab to her heart; the pain of unrequited love. Of all people, she knew she would miss Vincent the most. She had always thought her feelings for him were just a teenage infatuation, but it seemed that over the course of a few years, infatuation had grown to love. She knew she would have to accept the possibility that he might never love her in return, but regardless of what the future held, her adoration for him would never fade.

"Good-bye… _Vinny_…"

Yuffie scooped up her duffle bag and shuriken from the floor and made her way to the door. Her hand reached out for the knob, and by touching it, she paused, tightly closing her eyes.

'Be strong, Yuffie. You have only yourself to rely on, and that is all you need.'

--V--

Vincent frowned slightly at the intercom. 'I was unaware we were stopping in Nibelheim…'

Rather unexpectedly, his body was thrown off-balance by the breaking force of the airship, and if it hadn't been for the catwalk railing he held, he surely would have tumbled back down the flight of stairs.

'**Damn, pilot! Where the hell did **_**he **_**learn to fly?**'

Vincent ignored Chaos' comment as he continued to take his time climbing the metal steps in the direction of the bridge where he assumed the rest of the Avalanche crew was gathered.

He didn't get nearly ten paces before another slight jerk erupted from the airship, signaling its departure. Again Vincent clung to the railing as his body swung forward.

He frowned, but more for the brevity of their arrival rather than Cid's reckless flying.

'Odd…,' he thought. 'What was the reason for the brief stop?'

Vincent quickened his pace up the spiraling until he reached the bridge where all was quiet. _Too_ quiet. He looked around the vast room, switching his gaze from Cid, to Barret, to Nanaki, and then finally settling on a disheveled Cloud. As the soldier stared out the large window, Vincent observed the large bruise blackening his cheek and the blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth

"What happened?" the gunman asked in his usual uncaring tone.

The blonde snapped his attention to the stoic man approaching him, then sulkily turned his gaze back to the window.

"The brat," Cid vaguely informed, pursing a lit cigarette between his cracked lips.

Ruby eyes looked to the pilot. "What about her?" Something about the room's silence made Vincent slightly unnerved.

"She left," Cloud stated.

Vincent watched as the spiky blonde faced him slowly. Frowning, he asked impassively, "What for?"

"…Her dangerous relation to that monster," Cloud said bitterly, pausing for a moment to let his anger settle in once more. "She endangers our lives by being here! She's only bound to bring _more _complications if she were to stay!"

It was so unlike Cloud to lose control, much less to raise his voice, especially in front of the group. He always had a strong determination to confine his emotions, keeping him tranquil and detached. It was possible that his attitude could have just been mistaken for another strict training embedded in his mind from the Shinra Corporation, but the Soldiers were still men; regardless of the massive amounts of mako they were injected with, they were still humans with emotions. In a way, Vincent was the same.

Hellish eyes narrowed. "You have no idea of her suffering."

"And what of _my _suffering?!" Cloud rounded on him. "My wife is missing, or possibly _dead_! I can't let anything or any_one _jeopardize this mission!"

"Now who's being selfish?" Vincent replied coolly, doing his best to suppress his own rising aggravation. "I agree it was unfortunate what happened to Tifa, especially in her condition, but you cannot blame others to satisfy the emptiness of your own loss. No matter _how_ intense the pain."

"The loss of an unrequited love does _not _make you an expert-!"

"Neither does dwelling on the death of another while your wife is pregnant with your child!" Vincent's voice rose slightly as he gave a stony glare to the ex-Soldier. "If you truly cared for Tifa, you would have stayed home when she asked it of you rather than gallivanting off to the Forgotten Capital to flounder in shame!"

Cerulean challenged crimson in a duel for superiority. The silence surrounding them was suffocating, but neither of them pulled up for air.

'**Speak for yourself, Valentine**…' Chaos murmured. '**Do not be so hypocritical as to give advice you have not quite accepted yourself**.'

Vincent jerked his head slightly at the abrupt intrusion, closing his eyes in frustration. He tried to exhale, but it came out a low growl. "I do not want to be your enemy," he spoke through gritted teeth, "but I cannot let you blame those for what they cannot control. It is true Yuffie has had nightmares, but they are remnants of the demon's intrusion on her mind; remnants which allow her to foresee a future involving her and the demon."

Cloud took a moment to regain composure before exchanging fury for bewilderment. "How do you know they aren't just images trying to scare her off?"

"Because Chaos knows of this demon and her abilities," Vincent explained. "She is a shape-shifting master of illusion named Mara."

Nanaki walked over to the two warriors. "And what exactly does she want with Miss Yuffie?"

Vincent looked over at the scarlet wolf and thought for a moment about his earlier discussion with Chaos.

_**All hunters have their reasons, Host… she was locked away within Da Chao a great many centuries ago by the Wutainian army**_

An epiphany struck him. 'The _Wutainian _army…'

"Mara wants revenge," he said robotically. "She wants revenge on the Wutainian people… or perhaps their ruler."

"What? Why?" the airship pilot questioned, leaning against the railing to better listen.

Valentine stared blankly out the window, searching the mountainous terrain for more answers. "The Wutainian army bound her within the mountain on behalf of the _emperor's_ command. Mara must have spent her centuries in captivity figuring out a way to escape so she could one day get her revenge on the emperor of Wutai."

"Well that's a fuckin' stupid thing to get mad at… besides, the emperor who locked her up is probably dead, anyway. That was a hell of a long time ago," Cid said.

"Not necessarily…" the gunman retorted. "The emperor who gave the order sustains his title to this day."

The cigarette clamped between the pilot's lips fell to the floor, spilling ashes onto the ground.

Cloud stared with incredulity. "Are you sure?"

Vincent nodded in response.

"But how?" Barret inquired.

"Lord Godo has been emperor since before I was even born… I have no doubt that Mara wishes to eradicate him as well as his heir."

Cid released a nervous breath, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. "Shit, Vince… So what the hell are we supposed to do now?"

Scarlet orbs slowly made contact with the worried expression on the pilot's face. "Find Yuffie and Lord Godo before Mara gets to them first."

**Cliffhanger anyone? (I know, what else is new?) Thank you SO much for reading! And I really am so incredibly sorry for not updating within the 2-week limit… it's just been absolute madness here. Welp, out of all the mayhem, I was luckily able to produce another chapter (hopefully successfully), and I really do hope you enjoyed it!! Thanks again for reading, and please let me know what you think! XD**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	12. Chapter 12: The Risen I

**CHAPTER 12: The Risen (Part I)**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**Heh, heh dodges flying objects Sorry it took me so darn long to post… it's been pretty hectic (as usual). And I decided to make it two parts because I seem to have a fetish for cliffies! XD Welp, enjoy! **

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

'**That woman certainly loves mischief, does she not?**' Chaos' bored sarcasm ridiculed Vincent's mind as he incessantly paced the bridge in thought. '**I cannot recall a time when she was **_**not **_**in danger. Why go through all this difficulty just for her? I highly doubt Wutai will miss her foolishness...**'

Rather annoyed, Vincent stopped abruptly and glowered at the approaching town of Nibelheim. 'She is my friend, and therefore, she is worth the difficulty.'

'…**A friend?**' Chaos snorted with disgust. '**Why not a disposable pleasure?**'

The gunman pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation.

'**Might as well take advantage of her heart while you can…**'

Vincent's eyes snapped open, attentive to the subject now at hand. For a moment, his heart quickened at the thought of Yuffie sharing mutual feelings. 'I beg your pardon?'

'**Oh, never mind it! She is definitely not worth the effort. Women are like parasites; they feed off of a man's heart, tormenting it until they strip him of his dignity altogether… but you know all about that.**'

His flittering hope dissipated as all the painful memories of his past rose with a vengeance against his once-beloved, Lucrecia, and her unforgettable deceit. Solemnly, the gunman bowed his head.

'**You do not want to put yourself in that situation again, Valentine. All the feigned swooning and smiling, fictitious giggles and adoration… we both remember all of these attributes from your last affair. The theatricality of it all is quite **_**revolting**_**! The only relationship you should ever have with a woman is a quick bedding – and one that will not only satisfy you, but also leave her wanting more. That way, if the need arises–**'

'That is quite enough, Chaos. I need not hear anymore of your corrupt definition of a relationship. The fact that your age long-surpasses mine does not make you an expert on _all _aspects of life. I am fully aware of what is best for me, as well as for others. Now be silent.'

The former Turk shook his head slowly, ridding himself of the vile advice Chaos had provided him with. But, other than sexism, what else could he have expected from a demon? Vincent was stronger than that to believe such absurdity; he knew what his heart longed for, but he had to deny himself that privilege for Yuffie was not his to have. He mourned the very thought of this depravity.

'_Vinny_…' A whisper so benign it scorched his cold heart.

Desirable images of the young woman incoherently scattered his mind. His breathing fell ragged as he struggled for control.

'Yuffie…'

'_I need you, Vinny…_' she pleaded in a low voice. More chaotic illustrations of the seductress tauntingly flashed before his intellectual eye.

'No… I-' He gasped as he felt his body engulf in a blissful flame. This increased yearning provoked a fiery rage deep within his veins, like a pleasurable fury he could not suppress. What was happening to him? Why, all of sudden, was he feeling like this? This erotic sensation was terrifyingly intoxicating, he was being driven mad at the very thought of not being able to satisfy himself.

'_Please, Vinny… I _need _you! _All _of you!_'

'I can't! Stop!'

The exotic wrath continued to blast throughout his body, and he desperately fought for some sort of restraint. Chaos roared tumultuously in his ears, and he gradually felt the demon's strength empower his body with his hellish attributes.

'_Vincent!_' she cried out, but this time, in pain.

A heartbreaking vision of the Wutainian princess seared his mind: Yuffie was kneeling before him, desperately clawing at his cloak, eyes full of sadness and fear, while blood seeped from a large injury to her chest, feeding into a scarlet pool beneath her.

'_Don't fight it! Let it consume you!_' a harsher female voice hissed in his ear.

"No!" the gunman shouted aloud, falling to one knee.

"Vincent!" This time it was a masculine voice.

The gunman's body quaked with exhaustion, and his temples pounded fiercely against his skull. Unable to move, unable to stand, he remained still in a kneeling position.

"Vincent!" Barret repeated worriedly. "Y'alright?"

Vincent blocked out his question, being more focused on the trauma he had just experienced. Was this how Mara manipulated him to the brink of Chaos? He vaguely remembered the last couple outbursts – the first time he was drunk with poison, and the second, he had been injected with sedatives beforehand. If this was the helion's true power, then Yuffie did not stand a chance by herself.

"Vince?"

Crimson eyes met glanced up at the dark-skinned man. His body was still enflamed with the pressure to transform—he could not full suppress Mara's power; and what little strength he had over it would not be able to withstand much longer.

Still feuding for control psychologically, Vincent growled, "…We need to hurry."

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

Night was falling rather quickly in Nibelheim, followed by a murky disarray of rain clouds rolling in. As the wind began to blow with more intensity, the young ninja arrived at the Shinra Mansion. It had been nearly five years since she had first visited, when she, Cloud, and Nanaki had discovered Vincent in his coffin. She did not remember much about the house except for the creepy basement where various maniacal experiments took place. As she looked upon it now, however, she could see why she would not even want to remember the sight of the outside. The mansion was dark and decrepit, atrophied by some brutal force. Where grass would have been, mud and weeds inhabited. Something odd littered the dead garden as well; they looked like large rocks.

Yuffie peered for a more scrupulous look. Specimen names were inscribed on all of them.

'Gravestones… for failed experiments,' she finalized. Sickness washed over her at the thought of Hojo and the unbound lengths of his insanity.

Yuffie hurried to the worn front door, entering quickly so as to leave the mutated deceased to their resting places. The inside, however, was even more frightening. Darkness consumed the entire foyer, faint silhouettes of a staircase and deteriorated décor rimmed the perimeter. She could only imagine, though, what this mansion must have been like beforeit had earned its reputation as an experimental asylum.

_Luxuriously white walls with faint gold patterns… Two gold-rimmed staircases blanketed with crimson carpet winding down to the marble foyer… Large crystal chandelier dangling above the centre…_

She closed her eyes, savoring the fantastical dream. 'A home fit for a princess…' Though, when she opened her eyes again to the worn dereliction of the foyer, she felt some loss. '…Or for a Lord of Darkness.'

Clutching her shuriken tightly at her waist, she precariously climbed the remaining of the two staircases, careful of her footing due to the termite-bitten support and holes.

Upon her arrival to the upper level, she entered the room nearest her. It was a bedroom, and one nearly equal to at least five of her own. Like the rest of the house, the general décor was aged and torn. Oddly enough, though, the bedroom had its subtle pieces of beauty: an ancient armoire and loveseat sat beside her, a fireplace stationary within the furthest wall, and a four-post bed blanketed in scarlet sheets.

'Seems to be a color in high favor.' Yuffie smile knowingly at the bed, which unlike the other furnishings, had not collected much dust.

Pulling on the toggle which clasped the wool cloak she had donned to protect her from the incoming storm, she allowed the heavy material to puddle at her feet before removing her boots. She raced over to the luxurious bed and dove onto its tidy sheets, an uncontrollable grin gracing her lips as she hugged one of the pillows tight against her petite form. In that moment, she felt like the giddy, childish teenager she had long abandoned after the incident with Kadaj; everything – everyone – had changed much since then.

When Avalanche had parted their separate ways to live ordinary lives, Yuffie reluctantly went back to the only home she knew. Even there, she did not feel comfortable. Maids and servants heeded to her every move, never allowing her a moment of solitude. She was constantly being primped to perfection and dressed in silk kimonos. It was her father's idea of a good daughter; one who obeyed his every command, and looked the part of a true Wutainian princess. Yuffie hated it. She had no friends in Wutai—no _close _ones, that is—which was why she jumped on every opportunity to visit Tifa and Cloud. She could no longer stand the duties of a princess, nor the suitors her father persistently offered; she had to get away from it all, she was always in desperate need of an escape from loneliness.

But never in her life had she felt more alone than she currently did. Surrounded by servants and suitors was one thing, but to be completely detached from her comrades, her true _friends_, was something entirely different. They had deserted her for something she had yet to discover herself. Of course, she understood Tifa's predicament – she was the one who felt at fault for it – but they had been searching for _months_, and there had been no sign, no hint, of where she could be. How could they search for someone without having to know where to even start?

As she often did since that night, Yuffie replayed the incident repeatedly in her mind, trying to figure out what went wrong, what minor details she could have overlooked.

'Tifa on the floor… guy chokes me… Tifa's gone… guy whispers to me…'

_"Care not for the princess, Ms. Lockheart…"_

Yuffie's eyes widened and her lungs gave out. "Holy _shit_!" she rasped, sitting up straight on the bed.

'_I _was the target! Not Tifa!' She stared at the pillow, allowing all the information to sink. 'Whoever it was must have been there earlier in the evening watching me bartend… and then mistook me for Tifa!'

"Oh my gawd…," she whispered, intentionally colliding the palm of her hand with her forehead. "How did I not think of that before?"

Electrocuting pain split through her skull, forcing tears from her eyes. Yuffie screamed as the familiar agony buzzed through her mind. She violently thrust her palms to her temples to cease the rapid pulsation.

"_Clever girl…_" The voice was not masculine as it had been the first time; instead it was raspy and feminine. "_I'm surprised you didn't figure out sooner._"

Yuffie blankly scanned the empty room. 'The _demon_ abducted Tifa?'

Having heard the ninja's thoughts, the hellion snapped, "_Not _I_, young empress! My apprentice was the one to made the mistake of bringing me the wrong woman! A mistake which cost him his life_!" Her callousness then dropped to a more amused tone, "_But _i_t matters not, princess. I have found _other _uses for the wench_."

"Where is she?" Yuffie demanded, holding her head with one hand as it continued to throb.

"_Why care when your death is imminent?_"

"What good are your threats if you can't even make an appearance?" the Wutainian princess declared bravely.

"_Fool…_"

Black smoke began to creep across the floor, flooding in from the open door. Yuffie slid off the bed quickly and pressed herself against the wall farthest from the thick cloud. Carefully, she undid the bindings of her shuriken – which had been strapped to her back – and readied herself for a fight. Moving towards the door, she kept her distance from the smoke which had now enlarged itself into a tall plume.

As the smoke dissipated, Yuffie dropped her weapon, stunned by the incredulous sight of a slender brunette woman clad in black.

"T-Tifa?" she stuttered weakly.

A wicked grin tugged at the woman's lips. "_Not anymore…_"

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**TBC**

**Mwahaha! Loves it? Please review! Next update will be within the next few days! ****XD**** Thank you for reading!**

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	13. Chapter 13: The Risen II

**CHAPTER 13: The Risen (Part II)**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**Oh man!! Totally action-packed this is!! XD Not sure of the clarity of it all, but I'm sure it's content will suffice! Enjoy**

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

Yuffie almost lost her footing as she backed away from the gothic Tifa in dismay. "Gods…," she exhaled despicably.

Ignoring her comment, the demon said casually, "_Allow me to provide a more appropriate environment._"

The room around them began to spin and blur. Yuffie could not focus on any coherent object as she fell on all fours to brace herself for the nauseating revolution of surroundings. A haze of brown and crimson swirled around her, making it difficult for her to concentrate on her enemy. Soon the room around them had been replaced with that of the stone cell beneath mansion; the very room she, Cloud, and Barret had found Vincent in.

When her own brain had stopped spinning, she familiarized with the long-forgotten room of Vincent's repent. It was a cold and dank prison cell, and made it her feel like so small and defenseless. A large metal door took up half of one wall, and seemed to be sealed shut form the other side. Crumbled pillars and wooden debris littered the web-inhabited corners of the vast room. The only object in the room that remained intact was pushed against the far wall and sitting atop a small dais—it was a silver coffin.

"_Recognize this room, do you?_"

The voice Yuffie had almost forgotten clearly echoed throughout the stony chamber. She glared up at Tifa's imposter, who now stood beside her and mocker her with a smile.

"_What, are you not pleased with my appearance?_" the demon's raspy voice spoke through Tifa's lips. She turned to the side, showing off her slim figure in the lacy black dress which pooled out around her on the dusty floor. Smoothing her hands over her stomach lazily, she sighed, "_That damn offspring she carried was a nuisance… I find she looks much better like this. Would you not agree?_"

Yuffie glared at the foe before her. "You _bitch_!"

An evil grin spread across Tifa's face. "_Oh, my apologies, princess… would you prefer something different?_"

Tifa's features began to mold into a different figure; taller and more robust. The product resulted in a handsome young man wearing a Turk outfit. His ebony hair was short and messy as it fell in his face. Oddly enough, though, she had seen this man before, but in a nightmare. Still, she was unaware of his identity—that is, until he looked up.

'Oh my gawd…'

Yuffie gasped at the crimson eyes that now penetrated into her own. "…V-Vincent?"

The Turk had a very innocent countenance as he stared through her with those perfect rubies.

"_Oh, but he looks much different now, does he not?_'

Turk-Vincent arched his back in pain as a ghostly replica of himself tore away from his body to stand beside him. His replica then sculpted into the Vincent Valentine of the present; tattered crimson cloak, gold claw and boots, black slacks, and Cerberus holstered at his side. The two life-like Vincents looked at each other curiously before looking behind Yuffie.

"_Are they not perfect?_"

Yuffie cringed as she felt the coolness of her nemesis' presence on her neck. She could barely see the dark Tifa towering behind her in her peripheral vision. She despised this new rendition of her friend, but even more-so the demon who possessed her.

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

"Where the fuck _is _that brat?" Cid hollered in irritation.

Avalanche had been wandering around the town of Nibelheim for what seemed like hours. No one had seen the young woman anywhere; she had not checked in to inn, nor had she stayed with the Lockhearts.

'Damn it, Yuffie!' Vincent was just barely controlling himself. The fury within bubbled beneath his skin, and he could not deny that he was going to break soon if he did not get to safety.

"She could not have gone very far," Vincent snarled unintentionally.

The crew looked at him curiously, but Cloud was the first to verbalize the acknowledge of the gunman's odd behavior.

"Are you alright?" he asked, eyeing his comrade suspiciously.

"I need to… _contain _myself," he spoke gutturally through gritted teeth. "I'm not sure how much longer I can withstand… Mara is – "

A loud, lion-like roar broke his sentence.

The others fearfully stared at him.

"Stay at the inn," he growled. "…I need to be… alone."

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

"_Ah, this becomes interesting…_'

Turk-Vincent quickly shaped into Yuffie herself, except this duplicate donned an opulent white dress that spilled behind her lavishly. Her brunette hair cascaded down her back in a loose braid, meeting with the gold girdle which held a shiny katana tight against her waist. However, the piece of this image that really stood out was the golden circlet wrapped delicately around her forehead.

'Empress.'

The remaining Vincent looked down at the beautiful woman before him and smiled as he had the night Yuffie had told him about her nightmares. It was difficult to watch knowing that his smile was not meant for her, but instead, for the _Empress _Yuffie.

Lady Kisaragi curtseyed, returning a rather sad smile as she did so. Vincent then closed the distance between them, embracing her tight against his body, and buried his face into her hair. By the way he held her, it seemed as though they had been parted for an eternity. He did not make the slightest movement to break their contact—was he holding on to something he feared he would lose?

'Vincent doesn't think like that.'

'_Keep watching…_' The evil tone startled the ninja.

The empress pulled back slightly from the gunman's grasp, and whispered, "Close your eyes…" The instant he obeyed her, he smiled, forcing tears from her mournfully silver eyes.

Yuffie feared for the worst.

Lady Kisaragi grabbed his hands and kissed them sorrowfully—lingering awhile before letting them rest at his sides. Then, covering her mouth to silence her sobs, she drew her blade from its sheathe.

'Oh gods!' The observing ninja felt her lungs constrict painfully, her heart pounding rapidly against her ribs. "Vincent!" she cried out, her hand reaching for him.

"_They cannot hear you, princess._"

The blade the empress held radiated a hot-white glow as she swung it behind her, ready to strike. Oblivious to the event about to take place, Vincent continued to smile like a young boy awaiting a special gift. Lady Kisaragi took one last breath before she plunged the razor edge into his abdomen all the way to the golden hilt, eliciting a sickening thud.

"NO!" Yuffie screamed, making a movement as if to run to him. An invisible barrier held her back, though, confining her to where she stood. "VINCENT!"

Vincent's assailant wept even harder as she withdrew her bloodstained katana from his motionless body. He fell to his knees, staring up at the empress with a heartbroken countenance.

"Yu-ffie…," he choked, scarlet liquid spilling over his lips.

The scene was like a horrid tragedy, and Yuffie wanted to die from watching it. She could not bear to see the man she loved murdered by her empress-replica; it was absolute torture to witness her crimson knight collapse backwards onto the floor and allow death to take him. How could someone be so cruel? How could _she_ be so cruel?

Grieved just as much as the princess, Lady Kisragai's weapon clattered onto the floor as she sunk to her knees, hiding her flush face behind trembling hands.

"Oh Gods…" her voice quivered, "what have I done?"

Warm tears streaked down Yuffie's supple cheeks.

A clink of the katana made the princess divert her attention to the empress who now angled her sword downwards at her heart. Unable to reach the hilt, Lady Kisaragi gripped the flatness of the blade in between her palms. All tears disappeared as she shut her eyes softly, leaving a tranquil expression to wash over her face. Tilting her head back, she inhaled a final breath.

Yuffie turned her head away just as the empress thrust the blade through her heart with a fleshy sound.

"Yuffie!" a masculine roar ruptured from the cell door.

Unaware that the metal slab had opened, the young ninja turned her attention to the crimson-cloaked man now staring painfully at the dying empress. Yuffie frowned and looked back at the lifeless Vincent Valentine on the ground. Was this some kind of sick joke? Why was he lying there, and yet another replica of him stood at the door?

"What is this?" she asked the demonic Tifa despicably.

Vincent snapped his fiery interest toward the young woman. "Yuffie?"

Wiping away fresh tears from her dirt-stained cheeks, she sniffed as her reddened eyes stared at the gunman. Hope flooded through her body as though she had been deprived of it for years. "You can hear me?"

Crimson eyes locked with hers blankly. "Yes…," he said slowly—something was different, though; there was a sort of tension in his voice.

They both looked back at their bloodied duplicates and miraculously watched them disappear like a fading mirage.

"What happened? Are you hurt?" he questioned roughly.

Yuffie felt her arms and her face, checking just to make sure. "Y-Yeah… I'm okay."

"_If this is a reunion, then let's make it memorable._"

Vincent frowned at the gothic Tifa who had appeared from the shadows of the chamber behind Yuffie.

"Mara," he hissed. "You –"

Vincent tossed his head to one side in frustration and released a ferocious growl.

"Vincent?" Once more, Yuffie tried to move to go to him, but found she was still frozen by some transparent restraint.

'Oh Gods! No!'

Excruciating pain electrocuted throughout his entire body as the physical transformation began to override his humanity. Eyes of crimson were set ablaze with the rising rage, and his muscles began to bulge, growing as if their intention were to rip through his skin. Vincent roared as his back contorted in pain where two leathery black wings sprouted from his shoulder blades, spewing blood onto the floor. He threw himself against the concrete wall where onyx claws dug deep. Heavy breaths formed into ragged, animalistic huffs, and his skin darkened to an ash gray. His control was waning, and it seemed that not a single coherent thought could fend off the demonic mutation now.

Yuffie horrifically watched as the man she loved gradually and violently transformed into the monster he had tried so hard to suppress.

Her body stiffened even more with each attempt to move.

"Gods-damn-it!" she choked out the name in between her frustrated sobs. "Vin-cent!"

Aggravation and panic overwhelmed her as she helplessly surveyed the catastrophic metamorphosis. She let out an agonized cry. She was desperate to run to Vincent; she needed to get to him before Chaos completely consumed his being.

The demonically changing gunman tore away at the wall as if to prevent himself from further mutation. His resistance encouraged Yuffie that there was still hope, but she needed to hurry.

'Come _on_!'

Kisaragi pushed against the barrier with all her strength, violent shocks abashing her limbs as she approached him. She staggered a bit as the electrocution intensified, but she persevered regardless of the pain. Grasping his plumping forearms fiercely for support, she tried to ease the continuous torture.

'How do I stop him from transforming?'

Tear-blurred eyes looked up at the surfacing monster. To her horror, Chaos' attributes were already succeeding in their appearance.

'You can't let him take control… you can't let him kill me! I still have to tell you…'

As she pressed her trembling body against his mutating one, his claws dug deep into her back and dragged down to her pelvis, eliciting a slight cry from her throat. Yet, she did not let go of him.

"Don't let it control you," she whispered into his chest.

Then, hesitantly, she raised herself on her toes, and pressed her angelic lips against his own. All the love and passion she felt embedded deep within that one kiss, setting her heart afire, and enflaming the blood now circulating swiftly throughout her body. She had wished for this moment for too long and she had finally admitted to herself that she had given her heart to the only man she truly loved—the only man she would _ever_ love. It was the only gift she could offer. Whether Vincent wanted to accept it or not; he would always have Yuffie's heart.

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

Through the blaze of his transformation, something full and soft gently pushed against his lips, touching his heart and suppressing his rage. The beast within seemed to die instantly as he felt his body begin to relax.

Crimson eyes fluttered open, and the sight took the breath from his lungs. Yuffie, his beautiful princess, was kissing him. Her trembling hands caressed his face as she lingered against his lips, awaiting a response.

"Yuffie…," he murmured quietly before returning her kiss with equal fervor.

Her knees were just about to give out when Vincent's human hand instinctively embraced her tight against his torso.

He had never felt more alive – more loved – than he did in that moment. Not only had she caged Chaos, but she had breathed life back into his heart. The pervading thoughts of right and wrong were tossed aside as he continued to move his mouth passionately against hers.

'Heaven…'

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**ACK! They kissed! XD HOORAY! But what happened to the evil Mara-Tifa?! I'll be sure to update soonies!! Have a good rest of the week everyone! Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Thanks for reading!!**

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	14. Chapter 14: Reject Before Reciprocate

**CHAPTER 14: Reject Before Reciprocate**

**_Disclaimer: _I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

**_Author's Note: _Belated updates seems to be my motto. Sorry about ****that :****-\ I would have update sooner, but I was gone for four days for college orientation (lameness extreme!). ****Welp****, hope you like the new chapter :) It's quite fluffy. Enjoy!**

--V--

Yuffie clung desperately to the leather bindings criss-crossing over Vincent's chest as he gently palmed the back of her head and deepened the kiss further. Their bodies hungered for one another and their hearts screamed for more.

'Oh gods… I had almost forgotten what bliss felt like... She is so beautiful, so spirited, so… _perfect_.'

As if in reply to his complimenting thoughts, she moaned softly into his mouth.

'**What happened to ****protecting her****? "She's just a child"?**** Have you already forgotten your vows to live in solitude?**'

Crimson eyes snapped open at the horrific realization of his unrestrained actions. He pulled away instantly, pushing her from him as if to rid himself of her completely.

She gasped at the sudden lack of warmth from his lips and fixed her eyes on his in question.

Vincent breathed raggedly through flushed lips – bruised from the temporarily ignited passion – and tried to comprehend how he was going to repent for such a sin. He dared not look into her eyes; those perfect silver eyes, he knew, were begging for loving reciprocation—he feared he would surrender to their ardor, as if their innocence was prone to draw him in and suppress all worry, making him vulnerable. He could not have that; he could not be without his guard.

"I-I'm sorry…" her voice quivered nervously. She had noticed his suddenly reclusive behavior, and knew she had wronged—even if it had saved him.

He ignored her apology, and hesitated a moment before stating rather harshly, "We should go."

Continuing to avoid eye-contact with her, Vincent strode passed her to the open cell door.

"…Okay," she whispered sadly.

Vincent stopped to glance over his shoulder at the young woman who remained stationary with her back to him. Guilt burdened his chest as he watched the ninja wipe her face to hide any indication of sadness.

'It's for the best, Yuffie… I wish you could understand.' With his past and her age, they could never be a proper couple. Even if he _did_ kiss back, and even if he _did_ love her in return, they were not meant to be. He could not be lenient with himself on the subject; Yuffie was a princess – nay, the future empress of Wutai – and he did not deserve her. She was light and he was dark; such things never mixed. He would never let them be any more than what they already were… he couldn't.

Vincent looked away as she turned around to follow him, and continued to walk out the door.

--Y--

Back at the inn, the two were greeted by the rest of Avalanche in the lobby.

Yuffie cringed as she felt Vincent brush against her. She felt so hollow with him in her presence. That kiss would have been the highlight of the evening if he had not rejected her immediately after. She had already dealt with enough torture as it was.

"Fuck, you guys look like hell!" Cid declared by looks of the rugged ninja in her wool cloak, and the gunman with disheveled hair.

The pair grimaced at the comment.

"What the hell happened?" the pilot asked worriedly. When he last saw Vincent, he was struggling to maintain his human form.

'I'm too worn… too depressed to even tell you.'

Vincent's eyes darkened as they looked up irritably at the inquisitor. "Mara—she's using Tifa as her human host."

Cloud stared intently at the gunman. "Tifa?!" he gasped, taking a step closer into the small circle they had created.

Vincent nodded.

"And what about the baby?" the blonde warrior asked eagerly. "Is the baby okay?"

"No." Yuffie's voice was forlorn. "The baby's dead."

The crew stared at her, shocked by her cruel bluntness.

Cerulean eyes widened. "D-Dead?"

The princess bowed her head solemnly. She could not take anymore of this—she had seen enough pain for one night.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, gripping slightly. "I'm sorry…"

Yuffie then took her leave up the stairs to her and Vincent's room.

--V--

The group watched as the remaining female member of Avalanche gravely climbed the stairs and disappeared from their sight.

Barret looked to their leader. "You should probably get some rest, too, Cloud."

The spiky-blonde was still stunned by the news; his face was contorted in pain.

"…Cloud." The dark-skinned man placed a hand on his back.

Cloud snapped out of his trance of agony and gazed up at his comrade.

"We'll get her back," Barret assured him.

Strife lowered his eyes in defeat and followed Yuffie's suit.

"We can discuss tactics in the morning," Vincent's calm monotone came after a few moments of awkward silence.

His comrades nodded in agreement before starting their own ascent.

Vincent began to head for the stairs as well when Cid grabbed his arm. A dark brow rose in question at the random gesture.

"What's with the brat?"

Vincent glared. He hated when Cid referred to her in such a derogatory manner.

"I do not know," he replied coolly.

He went to move again, but the pilot gripped his forearm tighter. "Bullshit. What the hell did you do to her?"

Crimson eyes narrowed warningly. "Don't make accusations, Highwind. I did nothing."

Cid pushed his arm away disgustedly. "So help me, Vince, if I find out you hurt her, I'll fuckin' kick yer ass! I don' give a damn if it Chaos really _is _to blame! You're the fuckin' dumb ass who can't control yerself!"

Why Cid was so protective of Yuffie, Vincent did not know. But he did not push the blonde's limits, for he was too tired for insults.

'**Damn pilot! Tell him I -**'

'Silence.'

--Y--

Yuffie sat on the edge of her bed, forehead supported by her palms as she stared at the ground in thought. Vincent had not come to the mansion to save her, he had come for solitude; he wanted to isolate himself from the others by locking himself in his coffin. She knew he was unstable the moment she had heard his husky and guttural voice. It did not matter, though, she just wanted to dismiss everything that had happened that evening; it was almost too overwhelming to think about. The gruesome memory of her killing Vincent scarred her mind, and made her tremble with fear. She really had no idea who, or what, she was up against. Everything she had witnessed was just too inconceivable.

But the kiss…

It had been everything she thought it would be: perfect, passionate, and blissful. And yet he acted as though it was a mistake.

Yuffie fell back on the bed and instantly regretted it as excruciating pain shot up her back.

"Shit!" she sucked in through her teeth, stiffly standing to her feet. Carefully, she removed the coarse wool cloak.

She sighed as she entered the bathroom. 'What did I expect from him? I knew he would react like that, so why am I so butt-hurt about it? He doesn't even love me, for gods' sake!'

It was very painful for her to shed the neoprene shirt she donned due to the form-fitting tightness. She bit her lip hard as she pulled the bloodied clothing over her head to assess the damage done to her back. Looking over her shoulder, she saw eight deep gashes running from her shoulder blades to her waist, and the scarlet liquid oozing from the open wounds. Grabbing a white washcloth from the provided towel rack and setting it beside the sink, Yuffie turned on the faucet and waited for the water to warm.

She looked into the mirror at her dirtied face, silhouettes of dried tears blotched her usual fair complexion. She removed her tattered bandana from her messily strewn hair and discarded it onto the floor. She gripped the side of the counter, just staring into her own silver eyes.

'I'm no beauty, it's true. I'm still the tomboy I've always been. But I'm not exactly ugly, either. I don't get it…' She released a quivering breath, trying to calm herself. 'I just wish...' The thought was too painful to finish; too overwhelming.

Yuffie let out a sob as her head fell against her chest. Her body shook uncontrollably as wet trails persistently flooded her cheeks.

'Gods! I'm so weak! I can't even control myself!'

A door shut rather loudly from behind her. The ninja frantically looked up to see that Vincent had just entered, and was now staring back at her through the mirror. She instinctively covered her bare bosom with her arms and sniffed a couple times to rid the evidence of her sorrow.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she shrieked in a quivering voice.

"My apologies," he replied quickly, embarrassedly casting his eyes down so Yuffie could wrap a bigger towel around herself.

'Ugh! This is the second time he's seen me half-naked!'

"Shit!" she hissed through her teeth as the rough material made contact with her injuries.

Vincent frowned at the reflection of the bloody injuries on her back. "I thought you said you were unharmed?"

Silver orbs stared daggers at the man before her. "I'm fine," she told him bitterly.

"Yuffie…," his deep, velvety voice cooed softly.

"It's nothing," she said grievously, avoiding eye contact with him.

She let the towel's ends fall from her back, still hugging its body against her chest. She turned off the faucet, seeing that the sink was full of steaming water, and dipped the washcloth into it.

'Gawd, this is gonna hurt like a bitch!' Yuffie dug her teeth into her bottom lip, anticipating the stinging agony she was about to endure. She withdrew the hot washcloth from the blistering pool and gently reached over her own shoulder to dab at the top of her wounds. It scalded against the raw flesh, and her eyes shut tightly as she let out a small whimper.

A hand grabbed her wrist and she felt the tiny towel being tugged from her grasp. She looked up to see Vincent gazing back her with a pained countenance.

"Sit down," he said quietly.

At first, Yuffie just stood there, staring at him incredulously as his crimson eyes softened at the sight of her own.

"Please," he urged mellifluously.

With that, she seated herself on the lidded toilet, her back to him.

Vincent removed his cloak and threw it onto his bed before rolling up his sleeves.

"Forgive me for having done this to you."

Yuffie's eyes widened for a moment at his apologetic realization of Chaos' actions.

He pressed the washcloth to her wounds, and she arched her back slightly, groaning as the searing anguish numbed her body.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as the gunman repeatedly dipped and dabbed. His metal claw lightly clasped her forearm sympathetically, his artificial thumb massaging her unmarred skin soothingly.

Her heart nearly stopped as she felt his lips graze her ear. "I'm sorry…," he whispered. His romantically deep voice provoked chills to ripple across her body. She loved and hated the sensation at the same time. If he did not have feelings for her, then why did he caress her? Why did he help her? She wanted his lips to graze more than just her ear…

A strained cry broke passed her lips, not having expected the rigid washcloth to make such sudden contact with her open wounds. She cursed through tightly gritted teeth and her knuckles went white as her hands fisted a death grip on the towel blanketing her bosom.

Vincent threw the scarlet cloth into the equally scarlet water, having finished cleaning Yuffie's injuries. Looking back at the ninja, he could not help but feel a longing for her lips one more time. Just touching her drove him mad—he wanted to feel all of her.

"Cure materia?" she suggested, innocently holding up the green sphere.

Vincent gave a brief nod as he accepted it and absorbed it into his human hand. "You're aware that with injuries like these, you will be left with temporary bruises?"

"Yeah."

The immortal furrowed his brows in concentration as his claw grasped his wrist. Green energy radiated from his palm and seeped into her back. Her skin rejuvenated over the wounds, leaving nothing but thin scars.

When he had finished, Vincent sat back on his heels, slightly fatigued. Yuffie swung her body around, a small smile forming on her lips.

"Thanks," she spoke quietly.

Silence fell over the pair as they just sat there, eyes locked on to each other's.

"Yuffie…," he said tensely, "At the mansion-"

She raised her hand to prevent his continuation. "It's okay… I understand." Her heart broke to say it; to acknowledge the feelings he did not share--but it was necessary.

Yuffie stood from the porcelain pedestal and went to walk out of the bathroom.

"I think not," he said smoothly, rising to his feet.

She paused and placed a hand on the threshold, not bearing to look at him. "It's okay, Vince… I know I'm not what you want. Nothing like it."

Again she made to move towards her bed, but Vincent caught her wrist and twirled her around to pull her against his chest.

"You are all I want, Yuffie," he whispered melodically against the softness of her cheek.

Yuffie's heart hammered against her ribs as she Vincent's ruby irises desirably penetrated the platinum of her own. He grasped both of her hands and brought them to his face, closing his eyes as he needed to feel the warmth of her skin.

"Vincent…" Her voice quivered with overwhelming joy, bringing tears once more to her eyes.

He opened half-lidded eyes to give a lustful gaze before allowing his lips to claim hers passionately.

**Eek! Wonder what happens in the next chapter?! Possibly something definitely "M" rated! ****Muahaha****! But I'll leave it up to you to figure it out ;) ****Anywho****, please review and let me know what you thought! Thanks for reading! XD**

** _Coquettish Siren_**


	15. Chapter 15: Embracing Ardor: EXPLICIT

**CHAPTER 15: Embracing Ardor**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**I'm not gonnna lie, I had some trouble writing this lemon, lol. (which would be the reasons for the 'a few days' turning into a week) But I seriously could not get it to sound the way I wanted it to! But I hope it is enjoyable for you all just the same :) Here it goes! Enjoy! ^_^**

**---**

Vincent massaged his lips in perfect rhythm with hers, unable to have held his desire in any longer. He needed to touch her, feel her, hold her as reassurance that she would not dissipate from this surreal dream. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip before quickly being given access to explore her mouth. Her flavor was purely intoxicating; she tasted of freshly ripened strawberries; succulent and sweet.

He felt Yuffie go slack in his arms as their tongues danced together sensually. She grabbed a fistful of his shirt to support herself, and with the aide of his gold claw securing itself around her waist to draw her tighter against his torso.

His calloused hand cupped a round cheek, intensifying the fervor of their kiss and bringing forth a subtle moan from her throat.

Yuffie pulled away from the kiss, resulting in a worried glance from her lover. She smiled at him reassuringly and began to undo his shirt one button at a time. She pushed the lithe material off of his broad shoulder, letting it drift to the floor. Her heart wrenched at the magnificent view of his chiseled abdomen.

She ran her hands over his godly body, and his eyes closed to better savor her precious caress.

He slowly trailed his hand down her neck, stopping at the edge of the towel still covering her bosom. He looked into her eyes for confirmation before removing the nuisance of a cloth.

The sight took the breath from his lungs. Her small, perky breasts swelled with every nervous breath she inhaled. Every feature, every detail—everything about the young beauty made his body ache. As she leaned against the wall behind her and modestly covered her bosom, he could not help but notice how truly beautiful and elegant Yuffie was.

A smile tugged at Vincent's lips as he lightly pried her crossed arms apart and kissed her collar bone.

He kneeled before her and enclosed his lips over a pert nipple, swirling his tongue around it, and tearing a pleasured cry from her lips. The princess fisted her hands in his ebony locks, arching against his mouth as he continued to circle the pink bud.

Vincent smothered her with tender kisses as his lips made their way down her petite form, leaving a fiery trail in their wake. His hands slid over her curves fragilely as if she were glass.

He stopped when he reached the hem of her shorts and he looked into her platinum orbs for permission. Her eyes swam with fear as they looked down at him. It was true they were going a bit fast, and he was more than willing to wait, if time was what she needed.

Vincent made a move to retreat, but Yuffie firmly held his shoulder, giving her consent with a nod.

"Don't feel forced, Yuffie," he told her quietly.

She made a pained expression, which was not all convincing of her words, "I want to…"

"Are you sure?" His crimson eyes penetrated her own with utter concern.

"Yes," she breathed, closing her eyes.

With that, the gunman tugged at the drawstrings and pulled down her zipper, sliding the material down her toned legs and leaving her clad in her white panties. He placed a kiss on her inner thigh before standing back up and kissing her lips with immense fervor. The heat between her legs growing intensely as their tongues fought for supremacy.

She quickly undid his belt and pants, allowing them to clatter against the hardwood floor with the rest of their clothing. She noticed his own arousal confined within his black boxers, and her desire for him started to overwhelm her—she needed him just as desperately as he needed her. So many consequential thoughts were scurrying across her mind: exile, treason, torture. Her father would have her killed if she were 'deflowered' (as he often called it) before marriage. But as her lover continued to devour her lips, all her worries seem to dissipate.

Vincent swept her up bridal style in his arms, their eager lips never parting as he walked over to her bed and laid her down gently beneath him.

Gods she had wanted him for so long! And _only _him! How could she not have realized it until recently? Vincent was the only person who had ever recognized her as herself; as Yuffie Kisaragi. He never labeled her as 'the brat' or 'the princess;' he had simply noticed her as a person. No suitor, nor any other man, could make her feel as beautiful as Vincent made her feel. Only _he _could make her happy.

Yuffie gasped as she felt his hand slip beneath her panties to delve between her wet folds. He repeatedly massaged her bundle of nerves before diving back into her small orifice. She rolled her hips against his hand as she felt the burning pleasure rise in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh Gods…," she moaned, quickening her pace.

Vincent withdrew his hand and slid the scant fabric down her legs before removing his own to expose his aching member.

Platinum heatedly met with crimson in a lustful gaze as he directed his length at her slick entrance.

"Are you ready?" he asked huskily.

"…Yeah."

Vincent slipped inside her heated core, almost losing control at the sensation of her tight walls enveloping him in their warmth. Once he broke her barrier, though, and heard her whimper, he was determined to hold still so as not to hurt her any more than he already was. Her pained expression nearly broke his heart.

Fresh tears squeezed from the corners of her eyes, rolling down her temples as she tried to suppress the pain with gritted teeth.

"I'm so sorry…," he whispered, kissing her forehead before capturing her lips.

He tightly fisted his hands in the sheets, using all his willpower to refrain from thrusting into her relentlessly. It had been too long since he had last made love, and the need had become almost unbearable.

Yuffie bucked her hips up at him, wincing slightly as she took more of him inside of her. Pleasure overrode relief as he felt the slippery friction between them quicken. Her pelvis arched against him as his firm member speedily sought release in pumping into her lithe figure.

Grabbing his shoulders, she braced herself for the fiery bliss building intensely within her body.

"Vincent!" she panted.

He thrust harder into her as he felt himself near the brink, and the explosion of ecstasy electrocuted her entire body, numbing her toes. He grunted as the tight contraction of her already-tight walls wrenched him into a climax, forcing him to spill his seed within her womb.

Vincent kissed her swollen lips hungrily, wrapping his protective arms around her as he fell backwards against the bed.

When their lips had parted, he faintly heard her breathe against his chest, "I love you…"

The gunman froze, and his heart throbbed painfully. He did not know how to respond. It was probably true that he loved her, but he feared to say the words. Never in his immortal life did he think he would ever hear those words again. To him, they were cursed. He was a broken man now mended by the warmth and love of another. Lucrecia was nothing more than a name; a mere lesson taught many years ago. Yuffie, though, was someone entirely different. She represented his own heart's completion. He had spent so many years in solitude (never forgiving himself for the tragedy involving Lucrecia and Professor Hojo) that he had forgotten what true happiness felt like. Yuffie had given him that.

A droplet of water on his skin broke through his thoughts. Looking down at the princess in his arms, he noticed the tear that had rolled down the bridge of his nose and splashed on his chest. However, her countenance revealed contentment as exhaustion wrapped her within sleep's embrace.

What would he say when she awoke? Would he deny hearing those cursed words? She meant more the world to him, and he had not told her. What if something were to happen to her, and he was never given the chance to tell her? What then?

'Another sin.'

---

**Really short chapter, I know—sorry. But what'd you think? Let me know! Thanks for reading! And thank you so much for your reviews!! They really make my day :)**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	16. Chapter 16: Mara's Marionettes

**CHAPTER 16: Mara's Marionettes**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

**Author's Note: Sorry guys, this past month has been really dramatic (for lack of a better word). Just a lot of stuff going on right now, and it's been kinda hard for me to write. So I apologize (as always) for the WAY belated update, and I really hope this chapter is copacetic! Welp, here's the new chapter. Enjoy! **

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

Vincent awoke with the comfortable warmth of Yuffie's body pressed against his own, his strong arms cradling her lovingly. He kept his eyes closed, relaxing to the feel of her smooth texture and the aroma of her rosy scent. She was so exhilarating, so enthralling; an addictive drug he felt he could never be satiated from.

The vibrant sun peeked its rays through the cracks of the blinds, causing him to squint at the slumbering beauty beside him. It almost seemed like a dream—he never imagined he would be able to love any other after Lucrecia, but he was clearly proven wrong. He loved Yuffie, and she loved him. So why did doubt spread through his mind like a contagious disease? Was it regret?

He knew what they had done was forbidden by the strict laws of Wutai, but still he had surrendered to her; to himself. He had suppressed his feelings for so long that they just erupted, igniting their passion. However, if Godo found out, Yuffie would not only be exiled from her home, but tortured as well. He could not let that happen; he loved her too much to see her in pain, and she had too much potential as an empress to give it up. Wutai had gradually transformed into the one thing Yuffie struggled so hard to avoid—a tourist attraction. Her country needed her, and she knew it.

'She will not take it kindly,' he thought sadly as he studied her flawless features. He did not want to hurt her anymore than he already had in recent, but he knew he must in order to save her from a fate far worse than heartbreak. It pained him to even think upon the subject. Even if he didn't want to, he had to. No matter how much they loved each other, nor how much he wanted to be with her, he had to do what was necessary.

Kissing her forehead lightly, he carefully slid his arm out from under her and left her alone in the bed. He could not speak to her just yet; emotionally, he was not prepared to sacrifice his only happiness.

In just one evening, he had found the inspiration to embrace life; but already the night was over and he had to face the repercussions of his actions. They both did. In either outcome, they would both suffer. He was simply choosing the lesser of two evils, even if he found no comfort in his choices.

He already knew what she would she say, how she protest against his bizarre change in behavior and try to convince him that love would conquer all—but he could not give in again. If he did, he knew she would take all the blame for losing her virginity to protect him from her father's wrath. She was Yuffie; and Yuffie was reckless and stubborn. Even if Vincent desired to, he knew she would never let him confess his guilt before the law. He could not let her carry the burden alone, nor could he bear to see her tortured by her own country.

Vincent had to get away from her before this distress overwhelmed him. He quickly donned his usual tattered attire and silently escaped the agonizingly memorable room.

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

Yuffie smiled against the softness of her pillow, burying her face deeper into its fluffy comfort. She stretched out her hand to meet smooth skin but only felt the coarse substitute of sheets beneath her fingertips. She flicked her eyes open and frowned at the empty space beside her. Rolling her head to the other side, she saw that the other bed was untouched and unoccupied.

The bright sun seemed to be shining just for her, coaxing her to smile even more. It had been many years since she had felt this kind of happiness; her skin tingled, her muscles were restless, and her heart never stopped fluttering with joy. She wanted to squeeze him, smother him in kisses and gentle caresses, hear his velvety voice whisper in her ear—anything and everything that made him perfect in her mind. She felt that the world could do no wrong against them now that they had bound their souls to each other in the most intimate of acts.

An insistent knock at the door broke Yuffie from her euphoric reverie, replacing tranquility with panic.

In an attempt to hurry, she further tangled herself within the sheets and fell out of bed, her head colliding with the floor first. Her body twisted in an awkward position, and she instantly winced at the throbbing aches in her back—it felt as though she had been beaten with a crowbar multiple times.

"Hey brat!" Cid's voice called.

"What?!" she shrieked, frustrated with the confining blankets.

"What the hell you doin' in there?" he asked, equally annoyed.

"I'm" – she tore the sheets from her body, ignoring the persistent pain – "_busy_!"

"Yeah, yeah… Just get dressed will ya? We gotta fill you in on some stuff."

"O_kay_!" she huffed, finally able to rise to her feet.

She walked into the bathroom to shower as she heard the pilot retreating back down the staircase to the lounge.

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

Pointy, golden boots clanked and scraped against the rigid road as Vincent walked solemnly down the derelict path to the ShinRa Mansion. Why he had decided to come back here, he did not know. Perhaps it was the woman in his hotel room who had instilled conflicting emotions of love, or the truth that he could never have the one and only person he would ever want.

Why did happiness have such a malicious price? Sin and repent: he would always live in purgatory. Even if the past was not his fault, he could not help but blame himself for the events that had gone awry. He had not been able to save Lucrecia; what right did he have in thinking he would be able to save Yuffie? How could he promise to protect her when he had become the enemy's tool for destroying her. Regardless of the Protomateria embedded within his chest, he could not control himself when provoked. He was vulnerable to Mara's power, making him a huge danger to Yuffie.

He could see the fear written on his comrades' faces, and he knew they did not trust him. Could he really blame them? Chaos was a godly demon, and his power succeeded all of theirs combined, especially with Mara's provoking power. The demon was no longer loyal to Vincent's conscience anymore.

He would not lock himself away in his coffin again; he could not let Yuffie fend for herself against the treacherous hellion alone—he would never forgive himself if she died.

'**You truly have let the softness of this woman bewitch you. I must say I am quite surprised you have actually developed an infatuation with her.**'

'It's not an infatuation.'

Voices were heard from behind him. Vincent looked over his shoulder at the distant pathway leading to see a young couple walking towards town. The love the two shared was apparent in the way their hands were joined together contently and the way they exchanged heartwarming smiles and loving gazes. It painfully reminded him of _what_ he was, and _who_ Yuffie was. He envied them; for he knew he would never be able to show such unguarded acts of adoration to Yuffie.

'**Is it _love?_**'

Vincent remained silent as he continued to stare gravely at the taunting lovers.

He had expressed his love to Yuffie deeply, but he reluctantly had to admit that it would be the first and last time. As passionate and intimate as it was, he could not be any more lenient with his desires. He would treasure what they shared for the rest of his immortal life, knowing truly that it was love, even though he lacked the strength to tell her.

'**I daresay, Host, whatever are you thinking? **_**Love **_**will only make you weak! Make you predictable! Mara will eventually use her against you!**'

He exhaled a heavy breath when the couple had disappeared behind the thick foliage of the forest, and he had turned his attention back to the decrepit exterior of the ShinRa Mansion.

'Perhaps. But it seems as though she's been doing quite the opposite by using _us_ against _her_. I can no longer guarantee Yuffie's safety.'

'**Well, we can't exactly continue living like this. With that wench running around, we'll never be free of her possession. She'll always have us wrapped around her finger… and I don't know about you, but I prefer to liberty and will.**'

The gunman furrowed his brows. 'Is it even possible to kill her?'

'**Have you tried?**'

'Once, with Cerberus. However, the attempt failed; my bullets passed through her as if she were -'

'**Smoke?**'

'…Yes.' Vincent's face contorted with perplexity. 'Then it was an illusion? It was not a real being?'

'**Yes. It is a ruse which she uses in her defense. Do not be fooled, though, Mara was in your presence that day; she just failed to reveal her true appearance. She probably wanted to instill fear within that woman by using her illusions--the nearer she is to her prey, the more realistic the hallucination. Mara may **_**seem **_**invincible, Host, but I assure you: all beings have their vulnerabilities.**'

'You don't know hers?'

'**As a demon? No. However, she does possess that mortal's body…**'

'Is that truly the only way?' Vincent massaged his forehead. 'It would be a sin too great to commit.'

'**You may not have a choice.**'

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

"Like hell I don't have a choice!" Yuffie cried in an outrage. "I'm _not_ going!"

Cloud closed his eyes and shook his head in irritation. "We have to, Yuffie!"

"No we don't! We can just keep looking for that Mara-chick around Nibelheim. She's bound to show up sometime or another."

"You don' get it, kid," Barret interjected into the conversation. "She wants revenge on yer dad."

The ninja scowled at the dark-skinned man. "Well he had it coming!"

"It doesn't matter, Yuffie. You and your father are the targets right now. We can't afford anymore losses. We need to stick together," Cloud explained. "So you _are _coming with us, and we _will _go to Wutai to get Lord Godo."

"And then what?" she questioned, throwing her hands up in the air.

Cloud gave her a puzzled look.

Yuffie put her hands on her hips, silver eyes challenging cerulean. "What do we do once we have Godo? We just sit and wait for her to come to us?"

"I don't know yet, Yuffie. We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Right now, our main priority is keeping you and your father safe," he told her firmly.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "My father has plenty of guards, Cloud! He doesn't need protecting, and neither does Wutai!"

"Spoken like a true princess," Cid snorted, leaning against the wall beside her. "You'll be quite the empress someday, brat."

"I'm not going to be empress!" she snapped, glaring at the rugged-blonde. "Wutai is not my home anymore."

The three men gaped at her.

"Since when?" Barret asked incredulously.

"Since Godo transformed our orthodox country into a theme park!" she hissed. "The Wutai I know doesn't have a souvenir shop towering over the pagoda, or an invasion of unwelcome tourists polluting its culture!"

Cid frowned. "Well, shit, kid. Why don't you just change it back when you're in charge?"

Yuffie looked offended. "I'm not gonna pick up the pieces of Godo's mistakes! It's his own damn fault that Wutai has become what it is! _He _can try to fix it up when it all goes to shit!"

"But Yu-!" Cid started, but Cloud interjected audibly, "It doesn't matter. We are going to Wutai tomorrow morning, and you _are _coming with us."

'Why is he in such a hurry? We don't even know how to defeat the damn witch!' she fumed from within.

Nanaki had entered the room with a slightly concerned countenance. "Has anyone seen Vincent?"

Cid stepped forward. "I thought he went with you into town?"

Nanaki shook his head innocently.

"Hey brat!" the pilot called after Yuffie as she began to turn away.

She turned slightly and cocked an eyebrow at him disapprovingly.

"You and the vamp share a room—where the hell is he?"

Yuffie blushed at his bluntness; it was as if he knew what they had done, and therefore was insinuating the fact to the world. "I-I don't know," she stammered, more heat rising to her face. "H-He left before I woke up…"

Cid did not notice her embarrassment as he turned back to the scarlet wolf and shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, ya know Vince. He's probably out brooding in a graveyard or somethin'. Right, kid?" He slapped a calloused hand roughly against Yuffie's out of good humor, causing her to arch away from him in pain.

Cid skeptically watched her odd reaction. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Nothing… just have a bit of an injury there," she told him.

"From what?" he questioned in a strangely-stern tone.

She eyed him suspiciously. "It's nothing, old man. I'm fine."

"Was it Vincent?" he pressed on.

She was annoyed by his interrogation. "It's none of your concern, Cid! Leave it alone!"

With that, Yuffie left the lounge and ascended the staircase to her room where she would wait for Vincent's return… if he ever decided to, that is.

_Several Hours Later…_

Yuffie had waited all day for her lover to arrive, and had fallen asleep when there was no sign of his arrival.

'Just a small nap,' she had told herself. However, the dream which grabbed her mind also grabbed a part of her heart she never knew existed…

_"Godo!" Yuffie screamed as she ran through the atrophied stone hallway toward a familiar platform. Her pulse roared in her ears and her legs burned as they strenuously quickened their pace. Fear tore at her nerves; she dreaded to see what had become of her father._

_Reaching the end of the long tunnel, she leapt out onto the open plateau and unsheathed her shuriken from its bindings. Anxiously, she searched her surroundings through the violent wind and gray atmosphere._

_Then she saw him; a large mass lying in a crumpled heap of royal Wutainian robes upon the large dais._

_She neared closer only to halt at the sight of blood pooling around his lifeless body. Stunned, her shuriken slipped from her grasp, clattering against the ground._

_"Godo?"_

_Yuffie dazedly walked towards the motionless figure, too intoxicated by the scene to notice the miniature tornado swirling behind her…_

_As she knelt in the scarlet liquid, trembling hands roamed lightly over her father in shock._

_"Dad…" Her voice broke. "No…"_

Silver eyes snapped open and Yuffie bolted up right in her bed. Ragged breaths broke the silence of the bright room, cold sweat dribbling down her body which seemed to be numb with fear. She gripped her heaving chest as if to ease the aching speed of her heart, but she could not break free of her nightmare's trance; everything had been so incoherent.

What was happening to her? Why was she tortured with such disturbing nightmares? Mara was a demon after all; a ruthless one at that. If these _were _ominous forebodings, then time was running out fast. The wreaking havoc on her mentality was only a portion of the chaos.

'Chaos.' One word—then, the nightmare hit her with immense force, electrocuting her skull as the raspy female voice screamed in her ears and vivid images burst through her mind.

_…he tossed his head to one side in frustration and released a ferocious growl…_

_**"You will suffer…"**_

_… his claws dug deep into her back and dragged down to her pelvis…_

_**"…as I suffered…"**_

Yuffie clawed at her searing temples, slamming her eyes shut to push out the violent, intruding thoughts.

_**"…and then he will die…"**_

_…Vincent roared as his back contorted in pain where two leathery black wings sprouted from his shoulder blades, spewing blood onto the floor… _

_**"…and so will you."**_

"Yuffie?"

Her head was swimming, and she could not focus on the owner of the voice, nor the blurry figure approaching her. Again her name was called, but the world around her seem to wash away with her throbbing headache; and then, all was dark.

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**You know what to do: Read&Review! Thanks SO MUCH for reading, and putting up with my belated updates! You guys rock **

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	17. Chapter 17: Love's Lament

**CHAPTER 17: Love's Lament**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's **__**Note**_**: College just started—been kind of difficult because I've been rearranging classes and trying to get internet in my dorm. So I'm sorry for the wait (as always)! Enjoy! **

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Yuffie's eyes flicked open to meet the concerned stare of crimson orbs. He knelt down beside her and cradled her head with his claw.

How long had she been out? Having noticed her current state of lying on the floor, she assumed she had only been unconscious briefly.

"Are you alright?" he asked worriedly, gently exploring her face with his fingertips.

As he helped her to a sitting position, she felt the burning in her temples ceasing. She lacked a voice for a moment seeing as her mouth had gone dry due to the cruel reality of her dream.

"Another nightmare?" he inquired.

She shuddered at the horrid dream, then croaked, "It was of Godo..." – she cleared her throat slightly – "I think it might be a trap to lure me into Wutai… but having seen what I saw… I really can't take any chances…"

Vincent gave a brief nod. "I understand. I will notify Cloud immediately."

He began to stand, but Yuffie grabbed his hand and pulled him back to the floor.

Her eyes questioned him for unknown reasons causing him to shift uncomfortably beneath her silver stare.

"Red said you weren't with him when he went into town this morning." Her voice was soft, as was her penetrable gaze.

"I was out."

"At the manor?"

"…Yes."

Yuffie looked at him skeptically for a moment before revealing a small smile. She brushed her palm against his face, and for a moment his eyes closed, yielding to her touch. However, as soon as he realized he had done so, he gently pushed her hand away.

She retracted her hand against her bosom and her face fell. "What's wrong?"

Crimson orbs were doused in misery. He could not do this to her; to himself. He lacked the will. Her entrancing beauty and melodic voice rendered him vulnerable. He could not lie to her; it hurt too much to even think about parting with someone so perfect.

He sighed mentally and bolstered as best he could the crumbling iron wall shielding his heart. 'My impurity will only taint her innocence. The sacrifice must be made.'

"What's wrong, Vincent?" she asked again, worry filling her words. She hesitated a moment before she continued in a low voice, "…Is it me? …Is it what we did?"

The gunman shut his eyes, trying not to recall the events of the evening prior. The splendor of it all would only weaken his mind's already-fragile state. "Please try to put it out of your mind."

His harsh words were like daggers to his chest. But they directed more to himself than to her.

"_Put it out of my mind_?" she repeated repugnantly, as if his cruel instruction nauseated her.

Vincent watched her with a keen eye, expecting to see teary eyes and a flushed face. However, he was surprised to find that she was not; instead she looked bewildered and hurt. Not the kind of hurt that led to sorrow, but rather, which led to anger.

"It was a mistake, Yuffie," he told her solemnly, driving the knife deeper into his heart.

Even though Yuffie shared the bladed words, she refused to find consolation in tears. As an alternative, her anger rose like a great flood within her, spilling out passed her lips only slightly, "How could you say that? I gave you –!"

He turned away from her, hiding his grief from her—he could only challenge her gaze for so long before his own willpower faltered. "I'm aware of what you gave me, Yuffie," he growled unintentionally. "That is why you must forget it. You are of Wutainian royalty –"

"So I'm not allowed to live my own life?!" she shouted, balling her fists at her sides in frustration.

Why did she always have to be so difficult? She was almost narrow-minded in the sense that she could never grasp the bigger picture; she could never see more than what was being displayed.

Vincent hardened his countenance; not only because her naiveté agitated him, but also because he knew that he must. They were no match made in Heaven—they simply could not be. Why could she not understand that? He may have been of Wutainian blood, but he was far from royalty. The laws of Wutai forbid noble marriage to anyone of lesser status. Yuffie would never be able to be with him – not legally – if she remained a princess. Even by extracting her title, the consequences were dire.

Facing her once more, he scorned her ignorance with piercing eyes and a bitter tone, "You are a princess! You live to serve your people, not yourself!"

"If I was living to serve my people, I wouldn't be here!" she bellowed. "I don't care about being empress! I want to live without all the stupid obligations! I want –!"

"Do you not see the predicament in which we have plummeted into? How can you be so naive?"

"_Naïve_?!" she shrieked. "Why? Because I actually _express_ my feelings?!"

"Stop acting like a child, Yuffie," he scolded. "_Feelings _have nothing to do with the fact that our lives are now in danger in more ways than one. What happened last night should never have happened."

"Then…," her voice broke for a moment, "it meant nothing to you?"

He could feel her eyes pleading hopefully for a denial; but alas, he clenched his jaw tightly to bite back the urge to protest with a hungered kiss. He could not admit the wrong in her question for it would only make their situation all the more difficult.

"Yuffie…," he strained to say.

She grabbed his chest bindings and jerked him so he would look at her directly. He knew the pain in his eyes would give him away, but he had no choice but to stare back into her desperate silver pools as she demanded, "Do you love me or not?"

Vincent's mind screamed for him to contradict, but he remained silent. He had no answer. If he told her the truth, she would only fight to keep him in her life. It touched him to know that she cared that much – that she loved him that much – but it was a reckless act that would cause her to lose her title and her birthright… and possibly her life.

He lowered his sorrowful eyes before reluctantly shaking his head and whispering in Wutainian, "_You deserve to be empress, Yuffisca. You have the potential to accomplish many things; to lead and reign for years to come… I cannot fit into that life, and I will not let you abandon it for me. We cannot be, princess. I cannot love you_."

'…No matter how much it hurts, or how much we both desire it.'

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

The silence was suffocating as she felt the last brittle piece of her youthful heart shatter. No matter how much she had willed herself not to cry, she could not hold back the familiar prickle of wetness brim her eyes.

Large intakes of breath were the only thing preventing her from breaking down into sobs. Vincent was looking away from her, his gaze focused on the floor off to the side. She stood there, watching him; searching his downcast features for some sort of negation that would never come.

Pain. What else could she have expected from Vincent? How did she think it would end? Did she really believe they would have a 'Happily Ever After'?

No. This was no fairy-tale; nothing like it. This princess had no chivalric Prince Charming to come sweep her off her feet; this princess had a life of duty and structure and intellectual solitude. Royalty was nothing like the storybooks—no privilege, no choice, no freedom. Wherever she went, she was kept on a tight leash like some wild animal. No one could sympathize with her, because no one knew about the confinement of hierarchal obligations. The only thing her people ever saw was the false smiles and glamour of their beloved princess.

There was no escape from her royal Hell. Not even now, when Vincent refused her love. He was the only liberty she had ever known; the only hero she had ever witnessed; the only man she had ever loved.

And yet, he did not accept her heart.

He couldn't.

When the gunman continued to avoid her gaze, she straightened her posture with royal pride and went over to the foot of her bed to gather all of her belongings before hurrying out of the room.

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

The door slammed and Vincent clutched his chest where his heart seared like a burning ember. He gasped, falling to one knee, as the pain overwhelmed him. Crimson eyes were set ablaze from the intensity of Chaos' rising within him. He fought for supremacy with his own anger, suffocating the desired demonic transformation. Overwhelming emotion or pain seemed to be a trigger; even more-so with Mara controlling him like some hellish marionette. Her destruction would be his freedom, and he needed it soon before she decided to use him against Yuffie once more.

'Bring me the Hell,' he thought ruthlessly, struggling to stand. 'No pain can match the torment in my heart.'

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**I know, REAL short chapter! But I haven't had much time for writing, and I just got my internet working in my dorm so I hope it was still satisfactory! Next chapter they travel to Wutai and then all hell breaks loose… literally, lol. Hope you enjoyed it! Please R&R!! Thanks so much for reading!!**

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	18. Chapter 18: Home Sweet Home

**CHAPTER 18: Home Sweet Home**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's **__**Note**_**: Blame college for my tardiness.**

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The ninja boarded the airship the next morning with an air of indifference. She refused to acknowledge Vincent's presence even when he was noticeably nearby. But, oddly, no one took notice of her new change in behavior.

No one except for Vincent.

Every time she passed by him on the ship, he felt the impulse to reach out and grab her hand; force her to take notice of his existence.

He had not meant to hurt her, only to explain. However, like the child she was, she overreacted—she could not comprehend his reasons simply because she did not want to. It was as if she really did expect them to lead happy lives with one another. People like them were never so fortunate. She knew the truth, but she chose to ignore it because of its pain. He knew what it was like to fall in love blindly, but he knew the consequences all too well. He could not lose her; not again. Was it truly so wrong to want to protect her? Yuffie was more precious to him than Lucrecia had ever been, and he would fight to keep her alive; even if it meant sacrificing his heart or his life. He would always love her, even if fate chose to be unkind.

"Yuffie," he growled irritably when she had walked by him in an empty corridor.

The brunette halted her brisk steps yards away, her back facing him.

"_You've said all you needed to say_," she spoke candidly in her native tongue.

'I want to tell you… more than anything, Yuffie. I want to be with you. But I cannot risk losing you…' he thought forlornly as he watched her continue to stride down the corridor.

'**I must say, Host, you truly have a way with women**.' A sadistic cackle followed the ruggedly dark voice of Chaos.

Vincent shut his eyes, annoyed. 'Leave me be.'

'**I'm fascinated by these moments—it makes living within you bearable. Do not deny me the only amusement I have…**'

The gunman shook his head irritably. 'It doesn't concern you.'

'**Too late. I'm intrigued.**'

Vincent sighed, leaning against the corner of the wall and crossing his arms over his chest defiantly.

'**What did I tell you about love, Host? About women? They make you **_**weak**_**; they make you **_**vulnerable**_'

'You know nothing.'

'**I know more than you think. You are afraid your "relationship" will lead to your deaths, correct?**'

Vincent remained quiet as he stalked off to his room, bowing his head to avoid eye contact with passing crewmen.

'**If it is 'love,' why not **_**try**_** –**'

The ex-Turk slammed the door angrily behind him upon entering. 'You are a demon, Chaos!' he seethed. 'You know nothing of love!'

'**Perhaps. But I am fully aware of the torment it can inflict on one's being… especially those who deny it.**'

He made his way into the bathroom, flicking on the dim overhead light.

'**Look at you, Host. You are frail and worn; weathered by your own denial.**'

Empty, crimson eyes bore into the ghostly reflection of himself, where his withered heart was made apparent in his features: dark, sunken circles ringed his eyes, and pale cheeks were gaunt with fatigue and malnutrition.

'**Look what has become you**,' the demon's husky voice was filled with disgust, '**This cannot continue… as you grow weak, I do as well.**'

"Is that all you're concerned with?" he growled, "Your _own _well-being?"

'**Have you known me to care for anything else?**'

Vincent grimaced and gripped the edge of the counter, leaning into it as he continued to stare into his own rugged reflection.

'**You have plenty of time to rest before you reach Wutai**…'

"I'm fine," he muttered, stepping away from the counter as his muscles ached with weariness.

'**Cast aside your stubbornness, Valentine! I can **_**feel **_**your pain—physically **_**and**_** emotionally. You need to rest!**'

"Leave me alone," he growled, paying no heed to Chaos' rage burning within him.

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

"**Wutai **arrival reached," voiced the feminine intercom.

Yuffie entered the Bridge, glumly surveying her home through the large window panes.

A garish sun lit Wutai. Its appearance was similar to that of the devastation in Midgar. Everything her ancestors had worked so hard to build and keep sacred now laid in shambles before them—overtaken by an infestation of tourists and colossal foreign buildings.

Yuffie glowered at the sight of her disgraced homeland. "Behold the work of Godo," she grumbled as she and the team exited the airship.

This ain't the Wutai I knew!" Barret said disgustedly as he surveyed the urbanized city.

"Come on…," she murmured, leading them into the royal pagoda, which she was surprised to find was not abandoned and vandalized like the others.

"_Lady Yuffisca!_" a shrill, feminine voice rang throughout the main hall.

Cid cursed under his breath beside a cringing Yuffie as an elderly woman in royal linens approached them.

"_Hello Kasumi_," the princess greeted her hand-maiden. "_Is my father available?_"

"_Indeed, he is, m'lady. He has been expecting you for some time, now,_" the woman's high-pitched voice croaked through wrinkled lips.

"_Has he?_" Yuffie frowned. 'Why?'

As Yuffie made to follow, her comrades did as well.

Kasumi held up her hand in protest before them. "_I'm sorry, m'lady, but your friends may not enter. The lord only wishes to see you._"

The princess nodded and then turned around to face the members of Avalanche.

"I have to go alone," she told them, earning puzzled expressions in return.

"But what if Mara has gotten to him before us? What if it's a trap to isolate you from us?" Cloud inquired worriedly. "We cannot take that risk, Yuffie. All of us are coming with you, or you aren't going in."

"Yeh, I agree with Spike," Barret stated, crossing his arms defiantly. "Y'ain't goin' in, if we ain't."

Yuffie smiled slightly at their concern for her, and shook her head. It probably was not the best time to smile, especially when her life could very well be in danger the moment she stepped through those doors; but she had been deprived of comfort for what seemed like a long time, and it warmed her heart to know she had truly caring friends always at her side.

"I'll be fine, you guys. If something happens, I'll scream… But I highly doubt Mara will attack in the middle of the day."

"Yuffie…," Cid warned, grabbing her forearm gently.

"It's okay. I won't be long," she assured them, pulling from the pilot's grasp to follow Kasumi through large double doors.

The moment she entered, she regretted it. Once again she was thrown back into the Hell-hole of royal reality.

"_So kind of you to grace us with your company, Yuffisca._" The cold and bland tone could be identified anywhere.

Yuffie fought the urge to roll her eyes as she approached the gold-embellished Lord of Wutai. "_My Lord._"

"_I'm assuming by your presence that you received my summon?_" he asked dryly.

The princess frowned. "_...Summon?_"

"_To meet your betrothed,_" his voice was harsh, and held a small tone of amusement.

Horror washed over her features. "_My… what?_"

"_Your betrothed_," Godo stated more firmly. "_The man I have chosen for you to marry and rule Wutai_."

The princess was utterly shocked. "_But I-I told you… I told you I didn't_ –"

"_Enough!_" he growled. "_I care not for your wishes! You are a princess of Wutai, and you WILL inherit my throne for peace!_"

"Peace?!" she shouted. "Peace with whom? The clans you have offended because of your carelessness?! Because of your conceit?!"

He winced at the bitterness in her voice, and grew impatient of her childish behavior. "_I will not be addressed so informally, Yuffisca! Speak properly or not at all!_"

"If I wanted a lesson in manners, I might have actually considered being your heir!" she hissed, curling her fists at her sides.

"_Watch your tongue, daughter, or you will surely lose it!_" he warned in a ruthless tone.

"_I don't have time for this, damn it! We are being hunted –!_"

"_The plight of your friends is no concern of mine,_" he said sternly.

"_I meant you and me!_" she shouted above his voice.

Godo was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. He looked at her scrupulously, as if doubting her logic. Then he scoffed ruefully, "_Nonsense! No one would dare attack Wutainian royalty!_"

Yuffie narrowed her eyes menacingly. "_Not even a demon you locked away?_"

A fearful expression fleeted across the emperor's features.

"_Mara has escaped,_" she explained darkly. "_And she's coming to claim her revenge._"

The Lord of Wutai closed the distance between them, scolding her deeply for her foolishness. "_That's quite enough, Yuffisca! I shall hear no more lies from you!_"

'Lies?' she thought furiously. 'Why, that arrogant son of a bitch!'

"_Why the hell would I lie about this?! She's already attacked Avalanche!_" she told him frantically. "_She's coming for us!_"

"_ENOUGH!_" he roared. "_That despicable hellion is securely confined within Da Chao as she has been for the past century!_"

"_Godo! She could be here any_ –!"

"_Do not forget your place, Yuffisca!_" he bellowed dangerously. "_You may be my daughter, but I am still emperor! And you would do well to respect me in the future!_"

"_You have to give respect in order to earn it,_" she sneered.

The moment her vehement words slipped, a cold and powerful hand smacked across her cheek with such force that her head wrenched to one side and her teeth broke the skin on the corner of her lip.

The ninja whipped her head in Godo's direction, glaring through ruthless eyes.

Her face stung, but she did not move. For the sake of her dignity, she did not wipe away the blood now trickling down her chin nor raise a hand to her reddening cheek. She refused to show weakness before him. She would prove she was more ninja than princess, and never lend him the pleasure of seeing her pain.

The emperor straightened his robe pompously and regained his composure.

"_Now, if you are finished, I believe we have a wedding to plan,_" he said in an eerily calm voice, turning his back to her conceitedly.

Yuffie was reluctant to break the dark glare from her father as she forced a bow and tensely strode out of the throne room.

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

The large double doors swung open and an irate Yuffie appeared before them.

"What the fuck?!" Cid burst out furiously, taking notice of the blood dribbling from her pursed lips and crimson mark stained on her cheek. "That goddamned son of a bitch!"

Yuffie pressed her palm against the pilot's chest, seeing as he had already started for the throne room. "Forget it. He doesn't believe us anyway."

"And why the hell not?!" Cid exclaimed anxiously, urging forward against her restraint.

"He still thinks she's locked up in Da Chao!" she huffed. "I tried explaining it to him, but he's too damn stubborn to listen to me!"

"Fuckin' bastard!" Cid shouted to the closed doors.

Barret grabbed hold of his friend by the shoulder and yanked him back, almost causing him to fall backwards.

"So what do we do now?" Nanaki asked to no one in particular.

"We check into the inn," Yuffie said all-too-hurriedly. "And then we can figure it out from there. I don't think we're welcome here anymore."

Vincent sensed she was hiding something—was it her betrothal? Sadly, everyone had heard the Kisaragi's raised voices, but he was the only one who had understood their language. Although he had expected it, he was still quite surprised when he heard Godo confirm it. No one but Yuffie knew that he spoke Wutainian, but even _she_ was unaware he had heard their conversation. Thus, for the princess' sake, he remained silent… at least for now.

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**I really do apologize for the belated update. College is more than I expected \ Well, anyway, I hope the chapter was quite fulfilling for all of you! Thank you SO much for sticking with this story, and bearing with my tardiness!! Please let me know what you thought!!**

**♥_Coquettish Siren_**


	19. Chapter 19: Farewell

**CHAPTER 19: Farewell**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's**__**Note**_**: Sorry!! ******** I really DID want to get this out MUCH sooner, but one of my professors decided to assign a 10-page research paper a week ago and so I had to devote all my time and effort into that! Lame, I know. By the way, THANK YOU THANK YOU to all of you reading, and especially those who review!! I'm so stoked that everyone's enjoying the story!! Anyway, here it is: Chapter 19!! Enjoy! **

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She despised her father and his corrupt power. All they wanted was to save him, but he was being unreasonable. He had sent guards out to follow her around Wutai, making sure her comrades were not given any respect from the townspeople. The innkeeper even refused they stay at the inn. Yuffie had almost lost all control right then. The only place left was her apartment, which was too small for six people to stay comfortably. Unfortunately, they had no other choice. The living room was just barely big enough for each of them to spread out and sleep somewhat with ease.

The night air was cool against her face as she leaned against the balcony railing outside of her bedroom. She stared out upon a restless Wutai, alive with bright lights and loud arrays of music. This was not the home she grew up in or loved; this was a once-beautiful country that had been abused by an emperor who lusted after power and fame.

'No wonder he wants me to marry a clan leader… a rogue one at that, I'm sure.' She could not get over the fact that she was being forced to marry a stranger against her will. No one supported her decision to just abandon her country, and even she, herself, knew it was wrong to leave Wutai to its destruction and devastation. But even if she _did _become ruler, how could she bring it back to the calm and orthodox country it once was?

A knock on her door broke through her heavy thoughts. She turned slightly, staring at the door as if deciding whether or not to answer. She grabbed a robe from her closet, wrapping it around herself before opening the door.

She half-hoped it would be Vincent coming to tell her he had changed his mind, and for a moment her heart leapt. However, when her eyes met icy blue, she could not help but feel a jab of disappointment.

"What's up, Cid?" she asked, hugging her robe tighter against her body.

Wearing a tank and some sweatpants, the pilot hugged his limbs against his abdomen. "You have an extra blanket, kid? I'm freezin' my ass off!"

"Aww… You don't want to cuddle with Barret?" Yuffie laughed, pointing to the dark-skinned man sprawled out on the floor with a blanket entangled around his body.

Cid gave her a look of disgust. "Fuck no!"

She laughed again at his response before going to her closet to search for a spare blanket.

"Hey Yufs," he said, stepping into her room and closing the door a little.

She tugged at a wedged blanket, and grunted, "Yeah?"

"Y'ain't done nothin' with Vince, have ya?" he asked, leaning a shoulder against the wall.

Yuffie almost lost her balance as the wrenched free the thick fabric. "What?"

"You and Vince. Y'ain't together, right?"

She stared at him incredulously for a long moment, trying to find the words that would convince him most. "Err… of course not!" She gave him a timid smile.

Cid eyed her closely, seemingly unconvinced.

Feeling herself waver, she thrust the heavy material against his chest, forcing him to lose balance a bit.

"Well, err, good night!" she said quickly. She hurriedly ushered him out and began to shut the door when his foot stopped her.

Yuffie panicked internally. 'He doesn't know anything...'

For a long moment, Cid just stared at her, searching her eyes for the hidden truth. Then, his gaze dropped to her cheek where the skin had already begun to turn bluish-black.

"Damn bastard," he muttered quietly.

Gingerly touching her cheek, she surveyed the puffiness and soreness of the bruise. "It's alright," she replied quietly. "That's Godo for you."

There was a long brief silence before Cid hesitantly said, "And you're fightin' fer him?"

Yuffie looked up at the pilot, smiling ruefully. "I know it's sounds stupid, but he _is _my father and the emperor of Wutai. No matter how much I dislike him, or how much I disgust the new Wutai, I can't back out. These are my people, and this is my homeland, no matter how much it has changed, I can't abandon them."

Sapphire eyes softened, and a heavy hand rested on her shoulder comfortingly. "It's alright, kid. We would've protected 'em anyway."

She revealed a sad smile as he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before bidding her a goodnight and leaving her to loneliness of her bedroom. She did not want his comfort to leave, but as quickly as he had given it, it had disappeared.

'So this is how Vincent feels…'

She looked about her empty room: it was so forlorn and desolate, much like her heart. Why did rejection hurt so badly? Even if they couldn't be together, he could at least be honest with her.

'He fears giving me false hope,' she contradicted. 'Besides, I havea betrothed…'

The thought brought silent tears to her eyes.

"Damn you, Vincent…"

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

_Rays of sun danced upon his face, flickering with each flutter of the leaves from up above. The breeze was soft, and the earth beneath him cushioned comfortably against his body._

_"There you are!" a sweet voice spoke._

_Vincent pried one eye open, gazing upon the beautiful scientist beside him. She looked even lovelier today as she ever had. Her white lab coat flapped in the wind, revealing the sleek blue dress beneath which caressed her slender legs._

_Lucrecia Crescent was absolutely stunning; especially with that smile which stole the breath from his lungs._

_"I thought Turks were supposed to be disciplined and persevering?" she teased, playfully crossing her arms and forcing a frown._

_A sly grin tugged at his lips. "What has led you to believe I'm not, Miss Crescent?"_

_She pressed her index finger to her lips, looking up to feign thoughtfulness._

_Vincent smiled broadly, turning on his side to face her and supporting his head with one hand. "I was merely resting my eyes, Miss Crescent. I don't believe there's any harm in that."_

_Lucrecia giggled as she knelt beside him. "But I could have been in grave danger and you would not have been able to protect me."_

_Vincent tucked a silky strand of hair behind her ear, letting his fingertips linger on the smooth skin of her neck. "And are you in danger, Miss Crescent?" he whispered huskily._

_"More than ever," she replied just as quietly, brushing her palm against his face._

_Vincent then pulled her down to him and captured her lips fervently._

_"Lucrecia…," he pleaded breathlessly between the tangles of their heated kisses._

_"Vin-" came the weak reply._

_The Turk pulled away from his lover and quickly realized it was no longer Lucrecia he held, but rather, Yuffie. A more mature and goddess-like Yuffie, in fact. She donned a long, white gown embroidered with gold, and her lush brunette locks fell passed her hips. Although she did not at all look like the Yuffie he knew, her appearance _was _familiar…_

_Unlike the calm and loving face Lucrecia had donned, Yuffie's countenance etched one of utter anguish._

_"Vincent!" she groaned as her trembling hand slipped from his face to wrap around the fatal wound to her stomach._

_"Yuffie!" he cried as she slumped forward in pain._

_The grass had been replaced with concrete and the sun with a swirling darkness. The wind was cold and harsh, whipping against them as if to violently thrust them from the earth._

_Vincent stared in horror at his lover, watching her cough up scarlet liquid._

_"…Why?" she spoke raggedly, tears leaking from her eyes and blood oozing from the corner of her mouth._

_The itching anger within his mind was too overwhelming to ignore. He frantically looked at his bloody claws, then at Yuffie's wound._

_Four razor gashes._

_His tongue darted out the corner of his mouth to taste the metallic tang of blood. _Her _blood._

_"__**You tore through that creamy flesh and feasted on her luscious blood until it sweetly covered your lips…**__"_

_"No...," he growled, quaking with rage. "NO!"_

_He released a ferocious roar in symphony with the shattering of his heart…_

The gunman bolted upright from his place on the cold, hardwood floor, and immediately felt sick. Sweat dribbled down his neck as he trembled uncontrollably. What was happening to him? Thirty years in a coffin had brought enough torment… but this? This made all his other nightmares look like daydreams.

He had to get out.

Vincent unsteadily got to his feet and quietly donned his cloak and boots. Tightening the last of his buckles, he soundlessly made his way to Yuffie's door and listened to her steady breath from within the room. He could just imagine how peaceful her countenance was when she slept. Similar to the beauty she displayed when he had left her the other morning. Her soft, brown hair splayed across white linen, and one hand curled against her cheek while the other crossed over her abdomen. He remembered that he had fought the desire to kiss every inch of her smooth and glowing skin.

His heart tensed at the memory, and so did his fist. It was agony to think of her like that. He was too much of a danger to her as it was; the consequence was death if they forfeited to their love.

Yuffie whimpered in her sleep.

Valentine mindlessly stared at the wood door, debating to go in as his hand gripped the doorknob.

'She is betrothed to another,' he reminded himself. But even _he_ knew how arranged marriages often resulted: the husband, a domineering oppressor, and the wife, a slave to his will. For Yuffie, 'surrender' was not a term she acknowledged. She was as stubborn as the day was long. Even if her husband tortured her, she would not succumb.

He sighed and reluctantly began to retract his hand from the doorknob.

"Don't leave me…" she cried quietly.

Paralyzed by the irony of her words, Vincent kept his eyes locked on the door.

"…Vincent."

He did not know what possessed him to do it, but he silently opened the door and closed it behind him upon entering. Crimson eyes met a blanket-covered Yuffie lying on her side, unconscious tears streaming from her closed eyes.

What was he doing to her? Dreams were meant to escape, not to dwell on the torture one faced in reality.

Vincent walked over to her and sat down on the edge of her bed, just watching her features contort in emotional pain. Removing his leather glove, he gently brushed his flesh hand against the smooth skin of her cheek. The subtle contact lit his heart on fire.

Little by little her tears subsided as he caressed her beautiful face with his palm.

'A final goodbye.'

He bowed over her slowly and placed a chaste kiss upon her lips. He resisted the impulse to deepen the kiss when he felt her respond. Instead, he pulled away and quickly hid in a dark corner beside the open balcony where he watched her stir into consciousness.

"Vincent?" she quietly called into the darkness.

With pained eyes he watched her sit up and gingerly touch her lips.

"Are you there?" She scanned the pitch black room in hopes of discovering him.

'**You had best leave before you decide to have a change of heart.**' Chaos told him.

Vincent agreed, but he could not find the strength to move.

'**Come, Host. She is safest without us. Besides, she has that damn pilot to protect her if something goes awry.**'

It was not that Vincent doubted Cid's or any other Avalanche members' skill to guard Yuffie; it was more the fact that he needed to be the one to protect her for his own assurance. If something were to happen without him there, he would feel even guiltier for abandoning her—leaving her to die. But if he stayed, he was only a time-bomb counting down to the moment when Mara decided to use him against her and Godo.

A gust of wind blew in from the balcony, flapping beige curtains and a tattered scarlet cloak. Like a dark guardian angel, he hovered beside her in the darkness as a golden claw darted out to hit the pressure point on her neck.

The princess collapsed back onto her pillow.

Another zephyr blew in, and Vincent Valentine was gone.

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

Her heart… her head… the door…

'The door?'

Yuffie lazily looked at the offensively obnoxious door, already irate with the rude pilot on the other side knocking upon it incessantly.

"Bastard," she grumbled into her pillow. She slipped out of bed and regretted it—pain shot through her temples. For a moment she worried about another mind invasion, but soon realized it was just an ordinary headache.

'Did I hit my head on something last night?'

More pounding came from the bedroom door.

"What is it, Cid?!" Yuffie shouted, annoyed.

"Why'd you lock the god-damn door?!"

She frowned. "…I didn't."

"Well, it's locked, brat!" he told her. "Now get yer ass out here!"

Unfamiliar voices were heard from the other room, berating the pilot in Wutainian.

"Now just calm yer asses down, a'right?" she heard him defend.

"Cid…," Cloud warned.

Yuffie began to approach the door. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, she heard an unknown voice say, "_Lady Yuffisca! Your father requests your presence at the pagoda immediately._"

She rolled her eyes, and whispered to herself, "Wonderful."

"_Lady Yuffisca?_"

"_One moment, please. I need to dress_," she replied, grabbing a couple knives from atop her dresser.

"_Please hurry, princess. Your betrothed awaits you as we speak_."

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**Am I cruel? Probably, hehe. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! SO sorry for the wait! I PROMISE to update sooner next chapter! I have already gotten a head start, so hopefully sometime in the next week or so ;) Anywho, please read and review! I love hearing what you guys have to say! Thanks for reading! XD**

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	20. Chapter 20: Advent Beauty

**CHAPTER 20: Advent Beauty**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's**__**Note**_**: Long story short—been super, super busy. Anywho, here's the new chapter, and I deeply apologize for my belatedness once again. Enjoy!**

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Yuffie stared at the door in horror.

Another Wutainian guard called from the other side of the door, "_Lady Yuffisca, His Highness has requested you be escorted to the pagoda immediately. A royal coordinator will help you dress accordingly, there._"

"Now just what the hell are all of ya talkin' 'bout?" Cid exclaimed in annoyance.

Yuffie unlocked and opened the door to meet the crowd of people now standing in her small apartment.

Cloud was first to point out her pained expression. "What's going on, Yuffie?"

"Yeah," Barret said, "What're they here for, kid?"

"_Princess, we need to hurry, please_," the guard nearest her told her anxiously.

Yuffie nodded to him and then looked to her comrades. "My father has summoned me."

Cid stepped in front of the crowd, the deepest scowl planted on his features, muscular arms crossed over his chest in protest. "Like hell yer goin! I ain't gonna give him another chance to lay a hand on ya!"

She could not help but smile at his concern. He truly was the closest figure to a father she had ever had in her life.

"It's not about Godo, really, it's more along the urgency of my…," she hesitated a moment, afraid to speak the dreaded word, "…my betrothed."

She received astonished stares.

"What happened to 'screw Wutai'?" Cloud asked. "I thought you didn't want to be empress."

Yuffie bowed her head shamefully, hating to reveal the truth. "I know… but I wasn't aware of Wutai's devastation and need for a real leader when I said that. If I marry and become empress, I can restore my country's honor."

Cid drew in a deep breath.

She looked up at his piercing blue eyes, and felt herself waver under his intense, fatherly scrutiny. She looked to the others as well, and frowned when she suddenly noticed there was a pair missing.

"Where's Vincent?" she inquired, looking around the small apartment for any sign of him.

Her comrades did the same; apparently none of them had become aware of his absence either until now.

"Fucking vampire! How loyal _he_ is!" Cid yelled.

Nanaki weaved his way through the crowd of people and dropped a heavy gadget onto the floor. "He left his PHS, as well."

Yuffie's heart gave a sharp tug. 'Don't do anything stupid.'

"What is he thinking?" Cloud asked aloud.

Cid snorted in disgust. "Fuck it. We ain't got time to find him. The brat's gotta get to the pagoda."

Yuffie looked pleadingly to Cloud. "No, I want to know where he went. Without us, Vincent's vulnerable to Mara."

The Avalanche leader gave a brief nod. "She's right. Barret, Nanaki; you two search for Vincent. Cid and I will go with Yuffie to the pagoda."

"That's right. Y'ain't goin' without us this time," Cid told her with a smirk.

Yuffie made a half-hearted smile. "Okay, then." She worried for Vincent's sake, but felt more at ease knowing Barret and Nanaki would be looking for him.

"_M'lady?_" the guard beside her urged.

She turned to the group of guards, and very authoritatively she stated, "_My bodyguards shall accompany us as well._"

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

'Where is she?'

The gunman stood atop the Da Chao mountain pass, peering over the lip of his cloak to survey Wutai. Developing buildings resembled those of ShinRa in Midgar—large, metal towers. Few people were walking around the streets, though; the sun had just risen, after all.

'Can you sense her?'

'**No. There is nothing here.**'

He gave a swift shake of his head in frustration. 'We only have so much time.'

'**I am aware, Host. Be patient and continue the trail.**'

Vincent did not enjoy taking orders from his nefarious alter-ego, but at the moment he was not one to argue. He needed the demon's extraordinary attributes to find the enemy. He was determined to destroy her—even at the cost of his own life, he would kill her. She would not control him—he would not be her puppet anymore.

He walked down the dirt pathway which wound around the large peak and led into the forest.

'**May I intervene this petty quest to remind you that Mara still has a strong power over us? She can use us at any moment—mar our perceptions to use against your beloved princess.**'

Vincent stepped off the trail to survey the thick foliage blocking his path. 'I'm more of a hazard to Yuffie if I stay, you know this. I must find Mara before she finds us.'

'**Even if you find her, how do expect to defeat her by yourself? Although she **_**does **_**possess the body of a human, she still has her immaculate illusions—whatever you think you kill may be nothing, or something else.**'

Vincent tore through the vegetation, thorns and branches ripping his tattered cloak.

'I will find a way.'

'**And if you do not?**'

The gunman stopped for a moment to stare at the ground in painful thought. 'I die.'

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

The pungent aroma of cherry blossoms nauseated the princess as she strained to breathe against the suffocating corset wrapped around her abdomen beneath the gold silk dress.

"Why do these things always have to be so gods damn tight?" she groaned, twisting and turning within the rough constraint. "This is just painful."

Her handmaidens inserted the last of the gaudy hairpins and dabbed on the finishing touches to her excessive makeup before allowing Cid and Cloud to enter the room.

"Holy shit! Is that _you_, brat?!" the pilot exclaimed with an astonished grin.

Yuffie scowled at the remark. "Don't make fun! I didn't choose this damn dress!"

Cloud chuckled. "It's just so strange to see you so… formal."

She rolled her eyes, and frowned at herself in the mirror. "Well don't get used to it—this is only for special occasions."

She twirled around when she came to a sudden realization. "Do you have your PHS?"

Cloud pulled the small device out of his pants pocket. "Always. Don't worry, Yuffie. They'll find him."

She nodded, anxiety etched on her face.

The chamber door creaked open and a guard appeared, bowing to the princess respectfully. "_It is time, Lady Yuffisca._"

Yuffie nodded to him before turning her attention to her comrades. "Alrigh then, _bodyguards_, are we ready to meet my groom of doom?"

Cid laughed. "Ain't nothin' gonna happen to ya, kid. I'll make sure to kick his fuckin' ass if he tries anythin'."

The ninja rolled her eyes. "I haven't even met the guy yet."

"Ah, hell, I was talkin' bout yer old man. But yeah, him too."

Yuffie smirked and shook her head before following the guard out of the room, Cid and Cloud right behind her. They were led outside behind the pagoda to a large water garden at the entrance to the forest.

Three men knelt around a small table on the other side of the bank. Old trees and flora surrounded them in a cocoon of ancient nature.

"_Daughter,_" Godo said all-too-jubilantly, "_How kind of you to join us._"

Yuffie fought back a look of disgust as she knelt onto an unoccupied cushion beside her father.

"_Yuffisca I would like you to meet Lord Aeka Jurai_," Godo held out his hand to present his future heir. "_…your betrothed._"

She followed his hand to lock eyes with the dark-blue orbs of her betrothed. The sight of his handsome face stole the already-weak breath from her lungs. Soft black side-bangs fell over a navy bandana whereas the rest of his long hair was pulled back into a lose ponytail at the base of his neck. He wore a navy robe that represented his noble status with the seal of his family's name embroidered on the sleeve.

'But he looks just like –'

"_It is an honor to meet Wutai's greatest ninja_," he greeted in a deep tenor that was much softer than she had expected. "_…as well as its beautiful lady_."

Yuffie could not tear her eyes away from his face; it was so similar—_too _similar.

Jurai smiled at her awestruck countenance. "_Does my appearance displease you, my lady?_"

"_No, not at all!_" she said hurriedly, bowing her head as a dash of red stained her powdered cheeks.

Jurai chuckled lightheartedly. "_I see you are not told that very often, Lady Yuffisca_," he said, "_Which I cannot understand why—you are truly stunning._"

She could not restrain the smile which tugged at her lips. "_Thank you, sir…_"

Godo laughed jovially. "_You'll have to excuse my daughter's tendency to daydream. Her young mind is constantly swiveling around wild fantasies and adventures._"

He had made her sound childish and juvenile in that moment. However, the undertone went unnoticed for Jurai continued to gaze upon her admiringly. "_Such colorful imagination is necessary to keep Wutai strong._"

Yuffie blushed slightly. She continued to hope for this teatime to end so she could stop having to look into those deep blue pools which scrutinized her every feature and mocked her pain. Of all the people she had ever met, her betrothed hadto look identical to the one person she could not bear to face. For a fleeting instance she thought it would not be so bad in marrying this man—he was kind, handsome, and well-mannered—but when she looked at him, all she saw was her gunman.

The emperor's kindly-stated words tore her from her thoughts. "_… Perhaps you and the lady should take a walk around the garden, Lord Aeka. That way on the day of your wedding, you will not be complete strangers._"

"_Very well, my lord,_" Jurai responded.

"_Good! And what say you, Yuffisca?_" Godo asked, turning to give his daughter a warning stare.

The princess' eyes locked with his, an unseen tension battling for dominance; but alas, she could not win—it was not her place. Yuffie lowered her gaze before nodding in reluctant compliance. "_Yes, my lord_."

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**Woot woot! Okay, so a super short chapter, but I'm uber sorry! Anyway, I have 5 weeks off for vacay (WOOHOO!), so be expecting quite a few updates! THANK YOU, THANK YOU to all of you have been sticking with this story! I appreciate all of your reviews and support! Happy Holidays, and I hope to update pretty soon! Well, let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! **

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	21. Chapter 21: The Accepting

**CHAPTER 21: The Accepting**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's **__**Note**_**: Busy, busy is the holidays. Oh well, gotta love 'em! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday! Here's the new chapter! Enjoy! **

-----------------------------------------------Y------------------------------------------

Jurai and Yuffie took a narrow pathway through the forest, Cid and Cloud trailing behind so as to protect the princess of Wutai.

"_It must frustrate to have to marry someone you've never met, and for that, I apologize, Lady Yuffisca_," he said gently, offering his hand to her as he climbed over a log.

"_Please. Yuffie_," she kindly corrected. She accepted his hand and used her free hand to pull up her gown as she stepped over the barrel of wood. "_If we're to be married, formalities should not apply_."

He smiled at this. "_Of course, _Yuffie."

She returned the gesture and continued to walk beside him, one hand on his bent arm. "_I must admit, an arranged marriage is not exactly what I had in mind when I thought of ruling Wutai. I mean, I always knew I would have to marry the man my father chose, but I guess I never really took it under consideration until I arrived here_."

Jurai nodded in acknowledgment. "_It is quite normal to feel that way. My only request is that you try to accept me for myself, and not because you feel forced. It is an honor to be betrothed to you, and although you may not be in love with me as of right now, I only hope you will grow to love me over time, or at least become my greatest companion. After all, Wutai needs to be united, and that all begins with the bonding of our clans—if we come together, then Wutai will soon after follow suit_."

She smiled warmly at his words. "_I believe I can do that._"

The more he spoke about his views, the more Yuffie felt like she could easily fall in love with this man. He may not have been her gunman, but he was the closest to him she would ever get. He had all his qualities, with the exception of Jurai's chivalry, kindness, and open heart. Unlike Vincent, Jurai was a gentleman. He seemed to pay heed to her every word and opinion, considering and agreeing. She could not help but be impressed with Godo's choice – he could not have been more perfect. Not only did he care for Yuffie's feelings in the matter of marriage, but he also cared for the sake of Wutai. He, too, recognized the devastation that was Wutai, and felt compelled as the next emperor to restore honor to the once-great country all the natives adored.

'Godo's gonna give me an earful after this,' she thought. 'The old man did something_ right_, for once.'

"_You must be in quite a frenzy with the wedding arriving in just three days_," he stated with a chuckle.

Yuffie almost did not catch the subtle phrase as she opened her mouth to agree. She stopped in her tracks and stared into navy pools. "_Wait. Three days_?"

Jurai also came to a halt, smiling back at her in slight confusion. "_Well, yes_," he laughed light-heartedly. "_Seeing as the coronation is next week, marriage, of course, is essential before we are crowned emperor and empress._"

She stared at the ground, hoping it would hold steady her mind which had begun to spin in shock. 'Threedays?! _Three_?! But what about -?' She felt dizzy… and sick. She was not ready. She wanted her freedom longer than just three days. Three days was way too soon.

At seeing her astonishment, her betrothed took a step closer to her, donning a sympathetic expression. "_Lord Godo did not mention this to you_?"

Yuffie shook her head slowly. She wondered what would have happened if she had not come home—would the wedding date still have been four days after arrival? Would Wutainian soldiers have scoured the land to force her to marry this man? What if she had stayed with Vincent? What if…?

It was too late to think in retrospect the various outcomes. Princess Yuffie Kisaragi was to be married in just three days to a man she had just met. Although she adored his qualities and felt she could eventually love him, she was not ready for the biggest step of her life—she was not ready to give her body and heart wholly and forever to a stranger.

'What if this was Vincent? You would marry _him_ in three days if asked.' A small voice in the back of her mind spoke.

"But I love him…," she unconsciously whispered aloud.

"_Pardon_?"

Yuffie looked up at Jurai's bewildered expression and hurriedly covered up her mistake. "_My father failed to inform me yesterday when we last spoke. I apologize for my shock, I was just unaware the wedding was impending upon us so soon._"

Jurai waved away her apology. "_It's quite alright, Yuffie. I understand._"

"_It's just that G- my father does not have a lot of respect for me. He still treats me as a child…_" she explained shamefully. 'Even after everything I've done for him… for Wutai.'

A smooth hand cupped her cheek, breaking her away from her sad reverie. She blushed as she looked up into his blue pools, more embarrassed by the fact that Cid and Cloud were watching nearby. "_Children do not rule Wutai. You are a woman. And from what I have heard, you are an incredible one, at that. You saved the planet twice with the heroes of Avalanche. Whether the emperor chooses to notice or not, you are a mature woman who is more than ready to rule this country. You have the determination and heart to be a great empress, Yuffie. I have faith in you._"

Yuffie was frozen in awe. This man was bewitching her with the most heart-warming words she had heard in long time. It seemed to be just the motivation she needed—the extra boost of encouragement. It was nice to know someone had faith in her. Even if her life was currently in danger, Yuffie would fight to stay alive—or at least fight for the dream of an honorable Wutai.

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

The scarlet-cloaked gunman had been fighting his way through the brush for hours, and there had been no sign of their nemesis anywhere. She truly was a master of disguise. Vincent was beginning to think she did not exist anymore. However, if he knew anything about prey and predator, it was the fact that once the prey let its guard down, the predator would attack.

'She could have attacked at any moment already. Why is she waiting so long to strike?' He tore passed a cluster of thorny bushes to arrive at a clearing of the sort.

'**Perhaps it is because she plans to do this her own way. You know women, Host… they enjoy the drama.**'

Vincent stopped to listen.

"Do you hear that?" he whispered aloud.

His mind was silent for a moment, as Chaos' enhanced senses picked out the faint voices nearby.

'**Not Mara.**'

Vincent followed the ridge of the cliff, enclosing on the distant voices. He could see that the pagoda was not too far away, and knew that the canyon below him was probably the emperor's forest.

The voices he had been pursuing were now indeed close. A glimmer of gold caught his eye in between the foliage from his bird's eye view from atop the ridge. Curiosity had captured his full attention. Vincent flew down the slanted cliff side into the wooded canyon, dodging trees and boulders as he descended. At seeing the gold figure fully, he immediately vanished behind a thick oak.

"…_You have the determination and heart to be a great empress, Yuffie. I have faith in you._"

'Yuffie?'

'**This **_**is **_**the emperor's forest…**'

Vincent peered behind the tree, almost not recognizing the unfamiliar elegance of his lover; however, more importantly, the man beside her… touching her... then… The man leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips for what seemed like an eternity.

Vincent had thought his own purgatory had been cruel, but this—seeing the woman he loved with another provoked a dormant emotion he had long forgotten. It rose in a frenzy from the depths of his heart, building upon past trauma and recent love. He had not remembered how this felt, and now that he was experiencing it once again, he loathed it.

Yuffie made no action to accept or deny the contact, which only added to the gunman's agitating envy.

"_Thank you, sir_," she said after a long silence.

"_Again, for the purposes of not being complete strangers before our wedding_," the man said with a content smile.

The small gesture was a ghostly dagger which stabbed him through the heart without mercy. He should have known this was her betrothed. Vincent gripped the bark of the tree he hid behind, wanting to crush out the pain searing through his chest.

'**You have already spoken your peace, Valentine.** **You cannot envy something of which you let go.**'

Vincent lowered his hands in defeat. Chaos, surprisingly, was right. Yuffie was not his, and he could therefore not interfere. He wanted more than anything to protest, but he knew better. He knew it was not his place. Not only that, but he could not afford to have Yuffie distracted by him if he were to make it apparent that he was in their presence. They would meet again someday, face-to-face, when fate decided it was time.

The gunman turned away from the tragic scene to gaze into the darkly-clouded sky, and was quickly reminded of the hunt he had to continue. Vanishing from his post behind the tree, Vincent leapt back to the beaten path. The wind had picked up, and the air, more frigid; and he then knew, the enemy was near…

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**Short again. Just like the last one. My apologies. Hope it was satisfactory either way! Thank you SO much for reading and reviewing and also for putting up with my belatedness. I really can't express how much it makes my day to have you guys read and review my story!! Have a good one, and please let me know you think! **

**♥**_**Coquettish Siren**_


	22. Chapter 22: Kryptonite

**CHAPTER 22: Kryptonite**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's **__**Note**_**: Here's the new chapter after a LONG hiatus (in which I deeply apologize). Enjoy!**

--Y--

"So I'm curious, do betrothed always swap spit on the first meeting?" Cid asked as Avalanche's remaining three casually walked back to the princess' chamber. "Or is it some kind of Wutainian royalty tradition so each kid knows what they're gettin' into?"

Yuffie frowned. "No. I wasn't even expecting him to do that."

Cid snorted disapprovingly. "Well he seemed pretty smug with being able to kiss ya. Kid must think he's got it in the bag."

Yuffie raised her eyebrows nonchalantly. "Well, technically he does. My dad chooses who he wants… and the emperor _always _gets what he wants."

"Well ain't you lucky, brat," he commented.

The princess shrugged. "He's actually not that bad. I don't think I'll mind marrying him. I mean, he's more than decent compared to what I've been told about some arranged marriages."

"You're serious then?" Cloud finally spoke. "You're really going to marry this guy you just met? What if his kind mannerisms are just a façade? What if he really means you harm?"

"Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" Yuffie stopped and turned around to face her comrades when she reached the door to her bedroom. "Besides, I'm not going to delude my opinion of him while his kindness is still fresh in my mind. If he is a tyrant, at least let me pretend he's a good guy. That way it will be easier for me to marry him when my three days of freedom are up."

She could see the morose sympathy in their eyes. They knew she did not want to go through with this marriage, and thus, they felt sorry for her – sorry for the girl who would be forced to become a woman in just three days' time. In just three days, she would be a brat no more; a ninja no more. In just three days, she would be confined to the role of a domestic wife.

Yet, she kept asking herself, 'Where has all the time gone?' It seemed that all her life she had been struggling so hard to break away from Wutai for freedom, that she felt she was not even able to enjoy the freedom she had. All the things she wanted to do, she never got to. Marriage would be her own apocalypse.

"And what about Vincent?"

Yuffie snapped her attention to Cloud, who was surveying her with an empathetic expression.

"What? What do you mean? What about Vincent?" she asked a little defensively.

"Well, if we still can't find him after three days, we're going to need to broaden our search, don't you think?"

"Oh," Yuffie felt slightly relieved. "Well, that's fine, then. I have guards here who can protect me in the meantime."

Cid waved his hand between the two and shook his head. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. We ain't leavin' ya brat. The vamp can fend for himself – he ain't weak, and he sure as hell ain't dumb."

Yuffie was strangely tranquil. Even though she knew death was impending, she showed no worry like everyone else did. She did not care what happened to her, as long as Vincent was safe and happy.

She placed her hand on Cid's shoulder. "I can take care of myself here. Mara wants to use Vincent against me anyway. You might as well beat her to the punch and find him before she does."

The pilot furrowed his brows, definitely not liking the idea of leaving the ninja exposed and vulnerable to supernatural harm. "Yuffie…"

She tightened her hold on his shoulder in an attempt to plea for an accord. "Just find him."

The moral controversy fought vigorously in his eyes. She could tell he did not want to submit; knew that the plan was bound to fail. Yet Yuffie hoped she had only been persuasive enough to save her friends. She was willing to give her life for them, which, at this point, was her main intention. She did not want anyone sacrificing themselves for her – what did she have that was worth living for? Renew Wutai? It had always been her dream, but it was not really what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. She had always wanted to be just Yuffie; spontaneous, outspoken, free-spirit, and blissful Yuffie Kisaragi.

Cloud gave a decisive nod. "We will."

Cid looked at him with a panicked countenance. "No! This ain't final, Spike! We're not leavin' the brat by herself!"

Cloud turned to his comrade. "Yes we are, Cid. Yuffie can handle this. In the meantime, we will collect Vincent before he can do any real damage."

"Fuck that!" Cid cried, swiping his hand through the air as if to bat away the absurd idea. "We need to fuckin' be here to protect her! What if that bitch already has a hold on Vince? Then Yuffie's fucked!"

Yuffie, who had become irritated with Cid's persistence, finally exclaimed, "You don't have a choice, dammit! This is not negotiable, Cid! I am _ordering _you, as the princess of Wutai, to find Vincent!"

Both Cid and Cloud were appalled by this; never had she used the 'princess' card to get her way.

"Fuck, kid!" the pilot whispered dejectedly. "I don't know why you fuckin' care so much. He's tryin' to kill you!"

"Against his will!" she retorted angrily. "Gawd, Cid! Have some common sense! He's our friend, and he needs help!"

"Friend?" Cid hissed, closing the distance between them. "Is _that _what he is to you?"

Yuffie just stared at him, both horrified and embarrassed. 'What is that supposed to mean?'

Cloud put a hand on Cid's chest and pushed him away from her. "What the hell are you talking about, Cid?"

The pilot kept his piercing blue eyes on the ninja, and dropped his voice a little lower, but nonetheless disappointed, "Why do you love him?"

Yuffie could not move, let alone speak.

"I knew, kid," he told her in a low voice, "I've always known."

She was stunned by his knowledge. How could he know? _She _did not even know until recently.

Cloud chuckled ruefully. "That's ridiculous, Cid! Yuffie wouldn't…" His voice died down when he noticed the princess' failure to contradict or concur with the statement. He looked from Yuffie to Cid and back. "…Yuffie? Is that true?"

Yuffie gazed at the Avalanche leader and gave a slow, shameful nod.

"But… how? I mean, he's- he's… It's _Vincent_, Yuffie! He's completely unstable!" he exclaimed, cerulean eyes wide with alarm.

Yuffie bowed her head morosely. "I know…"

Cid interjected, "He's not even _human_, kid! He's a monster!"

She balled her fists and looked up at the pilot with a newfound rage and pain. "It doesn't matter _what_ he is! Yes, I love him! I know the risks that come with that, but I am willing to take them because I believe in Vincent! Don't you see? I don't care if Mara kills me, Cid, I just want Vincent to be safe – I want him to live!"

Her two comrades revealed expressions of bewilderment and astonishment. It did not matter what they thought, though; she loved this man, and she would do anything in her power to protect him. Someone so broken deserved to be saved.

--V--

"_I believe you have been looking for me?_" a familiar raspy voice spoke from the wind.

Vincent whirled around, pistol drawn, but faced no foe. Ruby eyes scanned the environment.

'Where…?'

"_I am here_," Mara spoke again, this time it was louder, as though she were standing right beside him.

Again Vincent turned and again he found no one.

"_Did you enjoy that coy display of affection?_" she hissed through the swift zephyrs. "_I'm surprised that passionate kiss did not transpire into anything more profane…_"

A jealous fury brewed and bubbled from deep within his chest; his inner-demon awakening to the overwhelming envy and ire. Vincent faltered in his steps, falling to one knee as he clawed at his own torso. He gasped while trying to sustain an imminent transformation.

"_Ohh! Have I struck a nerve?_" Mara's sneer echoed through his ears, but he still could not see or sense her presence.

To avoid the radar of Vincent's keen sense of omniscience, this hellion _was _a true master of illusion.

"_How could she deceive you so? She knows your heart's desire and yet she treats it with a lack of fragility. This 'duty to her country' is a mere excuse to stomp on your care… she is a wretched whore!_"

All the anguish and anger was building with a vehement intensity that Vincent could not control. He was going to lose himself to this witch – he was about to become Mara's marionette. He tried to focus on Yuffie's smile or the peaceful countenance she donned as she slept, but each memory fell back to the one he had just recently witnessed and then grew into those that were to become of her and the Lord of Wutai.

The gunman dropped his pistol and fell onto all fours, digging his fists into the dirt to postpone the monstrous frenzy.

"_I know how much you long for her… how much you desire it to be _you _at her side and in her bed. But she has betrayed you – she does not want you, she does not love you. She wants to see you suffer; she wants you to be tormented by her seduction…_"

Then the foulest images began to flash through Vincent's mind with a violent telepathic thrust; visions of the princess as an alluring seductress who was tempting his sexual desire and moaning his name… then there were others of her being hungrily ravished by another right before him…

"_She has deceived you… and yours will not be the name she cries in the raptures of her pleasure…_"

Onyx bled over crimson irises and obsidian wings sprung from the gunman's spine with a ferocious roar tearing through the silence of the forest. Razor fangs elongated over his bottom lip while claws of rock ripped from his fingertips. Skin alit with a hidden inferno, the renowned Chaos stood to his feet with outstretched arms, allowing the rest of his body to mutate into its demonic form.

"_It is time to take your revenge…_"

The nefarious creature looked to the stormy sky and smirked at his freedom. The sweet taste of royal blood teasingly dancing on his tongue…

**I know, I know… way too freaking long. I apologize – my personal life has had a recent downfall, and I have been recovering. All will be better, though. Let me know what you think! Please read & review! Thanks for reading, as always!**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	23. Chapter 23: In Spite Of The Wicked

**CHAPTER 23: In Spite Of The Wicked**

_**Disclaimer**_**: I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's **__**Note**_**: Yada, yada… I needn't say anything I haven't said before. Thus, to appease your anger and frustration, I give you a long chapter with a hint of fluff! (YAY!) Enjoy! **

--Y--

"_Oh Lady Yuffisca! I am so excited for the wedding! It is going to be one of the most beautiful ceremonies Wutai has seen! All the white flowers, the décor…_"

Yuffie raised a brow at the ramblings of her giddy handmaiden who was stitching up the back of her wedding gown.

"Well, that makes one of us," she grumbled.

The other Wutainian woman peeked around from behind the dress to look at the princess through the mirror. "_I'm sorry, m'lady?_"

Slightly caught off guard, Yuffie forced her lips to curve as she replied, "_I am glad to hear I will be married in such an noble fashion_."

Satisfied with her response, the handmaiden smiled warmly. "_Indeed, m'lady. Lord Jurai is a very noble man, and to think, by this time tomorrow, you'll be a married woman! How exciting! I deem you very lucky to be his betrothed, he is…_"

Yuffie did not hear the rest of her digression. She had already looked into the full-length mirror and felt her heart cry out. This vision in white was not meant for Jurai.

'Tomorrow,' she thought forlornly, 'Tomorrow, I will have a husband. Tomorrow, my freedom will be gone. Tomorrow… I will be Empress.'

She released a sigh, hoping it would relieve some stress and anxiety along with it, but she remained tense. She turned her attention to the open window that had allowed a soft breeze to enter the room. Gazing out at the setting sun, she wished she could run – run as far away from Wutai as possible. She thought she had been ready to be a leader, but now she was just scared. She cursed Cloud, as well as herself, for returning to Wutai. Some people were born to lead, but Yuffie was not one of them. She was too free-spirit to run a great country like Wutai. Although she had hoped that in becoming empress she would restore the honor to her homeland, she felt incompetent.

A hard knock at the door jolted her back to the present.

"_It is Lord Jurai, m'lady_," the handmaiden informed her, offering a large robe to hide the unfinished gown.

Yuffie gave a nod and donned the heavy material before stepping down off the pedestal to open the door. The sight of her betrothed nearly caused her to stumble – his appearance with her lover was all-too similar. He was handsome, indeed, but could she love him as she loved Vincent, was the question.

Smiling at her wide-eyed awe of him, Jurai bowed in unison with her curtsey.

"_You are looking lovely this evening, Yuffie_." His words were soft and gentle, much like his handsome face.

Yuffie laughed heartily as she looked at the oversized robe and pulled at the excess fabric. "_I am sure I do considering the fact that I am practically swimming in this!_"

Jurai chuckled before revealing his admiration through breathtaking pools of deep-sea blue.

"_I deem us a good match_," he told her as though it were to be kept secret. "_And as _my _empress, I will be sure to do everything in my power to make you happy._"

Yuffie could not deny her growing affection for Jurai. He truly was a nice, polite, and caring man. She could not comprehend how Godo could have chosen him. She could have at least expected arrogance or pride. Alas, he possessed no faults; he was only guilty for his likeness with her lover, which only made the situation complicated for her.

"_I shall try my best to do the same_."

Jurai gently took her chin between his thumb and forefinger, searching her face with smiling eyes. "_You will not have to try very hard, Yuffie_."

The princess did not resist as he lowered his lips upon hers briefly, yet nonetheless sweet.

"_Until tomorrow, my lady,_" taking a step back, he bowed to her, "_I bid you a pleasant evening_."

She returned the courtesy and replied, "_And you as well, my lord._"

Jurai nodded his dismissal before slipping out of the room, leaving Yuffie to contemplate in solitude.

Turning to face the mirror, she shrugged off the robe to get a better view of herself in the lavish white gown.

"This is it," she exhaled, crumpling the silk girdle in her sweaty palms. "This is…"

A cold chill swept through the room. Yuffie shivered and looked to the window where darkness encased Wutai. It was as though someone had stolen the light of day altogether. Only by the faint luminescence of the moon was she able to see anything.

Staring back at her pale reflection she wondered just how long had she been standing there. How quickly time had passed without her recollection.

She did not bother turning on the light seeing as the night's gloom sympathized with the lament of her liberty. She instead headed towards her armoire to retrieve a more comfortable pair of clothes.

Everything became quiet all of a sudden. Yuffie felt her exposed back prickle with uncanny apprehension. Not a single sound broke the unnatural silence, eliciting a slight twinge of panic.

Yuffie whirled around in a stiff, fighting stance, ready to defend herself. Silhouettes of furniture set her at ease.

'Jumpy,' she thought foolishly as she turned back to the open drawers.

"You are uneasy tonight..."

The ninja jumped at the dark voice that had echoed throughout the unlit chamber. Her body tensed and her heart raced as she pressed her back against the wall, the pads of her fingertips clawing at the stones in fear. Platinum eyes went wide in attempt to examine the black density; the coursing adrenaline had her breathing erratically as she anticipated an attack.

"You needn't fear me."

Yuffie frowned with perplexity while her chest ached with recognition. "Vincent?"

A frigid breeze blew against her face followed by a grazing of rough cloth against her bare arms. Warm breath graced her cheek; slow and calm. Worn knuckles brushed her cheek before uncurling to press calloused palm to soft flesh. She closed her eyes momentarily, savoring that caress which wavered her doubt.

Her fractured heart threatened to shatter as it hammered against her ribs; excitement filled her veins, but fear, like a dreadful club, struck her mind.

Yuffie was paralyzed in her own state of confusion: Which side of Vincent stood before her? The man or the beast?

She turned her face away from his hand. Gunman or not, the subtle contact was as brutal as his denial.

He remained silent, and instead allowed his hand to slowly slide down her forearm. He was being so gentle, so tender… so cruel.

"Please, Vin–" he captured her mouth before she could finish.

The fervent succession of his lips upon hers made her forget rationale; body, mind, and soul were slipping into blissful oblivion. All the anguish and amorous turmoil ignited the dim embers of passion within each desperate heart. Having been starved of his affection for far too long, Yuffie clutched the frayed edges of his cloak and pulled him against her feverishly as he slanted his mouth over hers, tasting her suppressed ardor. Vincent buried his hand in her hair while his claw secured her waist against his in a tight embrace.

She moaned into his mouth and felt him stiffen. Yuffie pulled away a moment to search his crimson eyes. It was definitely Vincent, for she could see the same sadness and ardor in his expression as she had the night she had given herself to him. But something different, something indescribable, also hid in those ruby orbs.

She traveled her hands up to his face to survey him more keenly. Her brows knitted in concentration.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, smoothing her thumbs over his cheekbones.

A sharp look of pain flashed in his features, alarming Yuffie with its intensity.

What was happening to him? Why was he acting so bizarre? She thought she had been right to assume it was indeed her Vincent that stood before her, but now she found herself skeptic.

"Vincent?"

Suddenly, the gloved hand that had been cradling her head now wrapped around her throat. Yuffie gasped, as his powerful grip closed in around her trachea. She felt the pulsation of all her blood throb into her face, and the imminence to severing her air passage altogether. She dug her fingers into those which were draining her life, trying to loosen them somehow. She coughed and swung at his inner elbow to snap his chokehold, but his flexed muscle was like iron.

Through the dim moonlight she could see that the expression he donned was no longer his own. His eyes were darker, his skin paler, and his countenance… wicked.

"How does it _feel_, princess?"

Shivers shot down her spine like knives as she heard his mechanical voice; deep and guttural.

He leaned close to whisper in her ear, "How does it _feel_ to know you will die by your corrupted lover?"

Vincent lifted her off the ground, her back scraping the rigid stone wall as she rose to his eye level at arm's length.

The struggle to breathe was becoming too painful. She could not hold on much longer if he kept her like this. Both hands clung to his unrelenting grasp; fingers helplessly trying to pry away the agony.

With great difficulty, she gathered enough air to conjure a hoarse reply, "Stop… wasting… your time… Mara."

"_Yes. But killing you now would be doing you a favor_," Mara rasped through the gunman's smiling lips. "_And we don't want to end the fun without the Guest of Honor_…"

The ninja etched a look of grief. "Godo!" she tried to cry out, thrashing about in Vincent's grip.

Mara chuckled forebodingly. "_I'm surprised to find that _you _of all people should be concerned for your despicable father, Yuffisca. Especially after all that he has done._" Vincent's face contorted into a deep, disgusted frown. "_Beating you when you failed to retrieve the items he sent you to steal – some would consider his forms of punishment as torture. Yet you remained unquestionably loyal until the appearance of Avalanche. Despite his unrelenting brutality, you plead that I not take his life when he has undoubtedly slaughtered yours?_"

Yuffie felt the air rush through her searing windpipe as she was released and allowed to fall to the floor in a feeble heap. The room around her swam violently and bright, fluorescent colors spotted her vision. Nausea stirred threateningly in her stomach as she coughed and inhaled as much oxygen as she could in spite of the burning in her trachea.

"_You and I are not so different, Yuffisca. We were both betrayed by that filthy excuse for an emperor, and now that we have him in our grasp, we can proudly take our revenge!_"

Yuffie looked up with teary eyes. "Revenge is a coward's way of dealing with the problem. He's still done what he's done. You aren't changing anything by murdering him."

Vincent's eyes flashed angrily. "_His death will permit me to obtain justice and respect!_"

"Respect from whom?" she retorted. "Wutai? The planet?"

"_The planet can burn! And Wutai along with it!_" Mara rounded on the princess. "_I have long deserved my place among Gods! The planet cursed me to live as a parasite in a petty mortal's body for the remainder of my immortality!_"

As if to prove her point, Vincent's stature shrunk and slimmed into a feminine figure – Tifa's figure. Yuffie watched in awe and horror as tattered scarlet and messy, raven hair morphed into a sleek black gown and lustrous, brunette locks.

Antipathy bubbled within the princess as she eyed Tifa's slender waist – a life taken as a result of demonic possession.

"How could you do this to her?" Yuffie demanded through clenched teeth as she weakly attempted to stand. "How could you kill something so innocent?"

Mara raised a brow in question. "_It seems you have quickly forgotten _what _I am, Yuffisca. Empathy and sentiment is something we demons lack… as you can assess by your lover's most recent demeanor._"

The same Vincent she had kissed ghosted into their presence through the darkness.

Disoriented by the strange phenomenon, Yuffie exclaimed, "But you just–!"

Mara's lips curled coyly as she lifted a hand out in front of her to examine in admiration. "_Difficult, is it not? Determining what you perceive as reality or illusion?_"

Yuffie suddenly felt the room begin to spin in a frenzy of blurred images, befuddling her mentality as well as her acuity. She felt her head become lighter and the air thin. She grasped for the wall, something solid that could hold her steady, but found that the wall had been replaced with empty space. The ground beneath her quaked and the atmosphere had grown frigid. She shut her eyes tight to calm her dizziness, but her surroundings continued to quiver even after the turbulent, physical motion had ceased.

Trembling on her hands and knees on gritty stone, the princess emptied the contents of her stomach to rid herself of an overwhelming sickness.

"_I forgot that the transformation of locations could be a bit jarry for humans,_" Mara spoke eerily. "_But you already knew that._"

Yuffie kept her eyes shut, distrusting her vision to be stable.

"_Look at me!_" Mara's tumultuous voice took on a mechanical depth.

Then, with devastating force, electricity sliced through the ninja's skull. She screamed as she felt the invisible hot poker slowly rip apart her brain. Collapsing completely, her knuckles buried deep into her temples in attempt to knead out the pain, but no avail.

"Stop! Stop! Leave her alone!" she vaguely heard the shouts of someone nearby. "Yuffie!"

"_Silence yourself, fiend! Or you will be forced to end her life sooner than originally planned!_"

No contradiction followed after that, and Yuffie felt as though she were going to lose her mind completely if the electrocution did not cease. This was the longest she had ever felt; it made all the others seem futile which made her suffering all the more worst.

"_Do as you are told, Yuffisca, and the pain will desist._"

Yuffie sobbed and shrieked, "I-I-I can't!"

"_And here I believed you to be someone worth an honorable death. The White Rose of Wutai, the Great Ninja Yuffisca Kisaragi, they are both just superfluous names that hold no _real_ significance_."

While, the torture subsided with small, intermittent shocks, Yuffie quivered out of fear and fatigue.

"Yuffie!" came Vincent's desperate call.

Straining to open her eyes, withering platinum met unbearably fretful crimson. Vincent made towards her anxiously, but ankles and wrists were bound by the constraint of thick, iron chains locked into the ground.

Even in the darkest of times, during the days of Sephiroth, she had never seen him so distressed. The seemingly-cold and composed ex-Turk was now distraught and helpless. The anxiety written on his face frightened her. If Mara had the power to bring _Vincent _to his knees, then she truly was more powerful beyond comprehension.

'But what if it's just an illusion?' Yuffie hesitated, noticing her body had begun to move on its own accord.

The wind gusted wildly around her, and the sky above was a murky gray of swirling thunderclouds. The roar of thunder rumbled through the air, and the crumbling of rocks reverberated across the stone plateau. At the sight of the atrophied walls surrounding the area, Yuffie then realized where she was. As if to confirm her suspicions, she whirled around to find the haunting stone dais from her nightmares – the platform of her demise...

--

**Mwahaha! Winding down to the end, now! Also, my sincerest apologies to all reviewers to whom I did not respond! I do read and appreciate all your comments, so many thanks! And as always, lemme know what you think! Thank you for reading!**

**_Coquettish Siren_**


	24. Chapter 24: Forgotten Knot

**CHAPTER 24: Forgotten Knot**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**No, I did not die. Nor has this story. I apologize for the months upon months of waiting, and so I grant you a new chapter! My goal is to finish this by the end of January, so I hope you all enjoy, and continue to read! Thank you for sticking with this story and enduring the long, long hiatus! Enjoy!**

--V--

The hefty, ice-cold chains binding his wrists and ankles weighed him to the ground, but it was Mara's magic which confined him there. He was completely immobile. Wholely at her dispense. Even as a man; as her precious demonic marionette. Life had never been more cruel to him. He was involuntarily at the mercy of an underworld demi-god.

There was no escape from that. No escape involving a peaceful parting.

Death was inevitable. _Whose_ death was what remained undetermined.

'Please don't be foolish,' was all he thought as he anxiously watched Yuffie wobble on all fours. The environment transformation had left her jarry, and that was not a good sign. Her mind would be slow for awhile. Higher level magic like Mara's always left prolonged effects upon humans.

He watched Yuffie's lips move in a vicious manner, but could hear nothing she was saying. In fact, he couldn't hear anything at all. Had Mara enchantedly deafened him?

Suddenly, Yuffie dropped to the ground, hands at her temples, and her face contorted in agony.

'What's wrong with her? What's happening?' But he had only to look to the Tifa-disguised Mara to realize what was taking place. She was torturing her.

Vincent thrashed in his restraints, desperate to go to Yuffie, or drain the life from Mara -- either way, he fought for freedom against the magically bound chains. Although the world around him was mute, Vincent shouted. He shouted for Yuffie, his beloved. His attempts vibrated in his throat although he heard no sound.

Mara's gaze averted to him, but he ignored her.

Something dark and something evil began to spread throughout his veins as he watched the powerless ninja before him wither and cry out in silence.

Yuffie finally collapsed to the ground, convulsing slightly. Her torment must have ceased. Eager crimson eyes could only watch and hope she was alright. He initially thought he had been doing Yuffie a favor by confronting Mara. He thought he had done the right thing by leaving Yuffie. However, now they were both helpless.

Vincent called out her name, hoping, at least, that she could hear him.

And perhaps she did, as she tiredly turned her head in his direction and looked upon him with pleading eyes. She began to crawl towards him, but then halted in wide-eyed fear. Panic rushed over him like a bucket of ice water and his body went into immediate shock. Mara had successfully made Yuffie doubt him.

He frantically looked to the wicked illusionist, whose red, red eyes only smiled at his pain.

Her harsh, nefarious voice abruptly roared through the silence in his head. '_I have had enough of you!_'

Vincent's body began to tingle, quickly turning into a heated buzz. 'NO!'

Vincent, he would be no more...

A fiery storm encased his body. Similar to a potent amphetamine, the sweltering heat from its blaze was addictively agitating for his rampant heart. While desperate for liberty and famished of power, Vincent was ensnared within his own psychological turmoil. Mara had presented him with the sweet rapture of demonic energy for which Chaos insatiably hungered; like blood to a leech. A fatal attribute that was one of many Vincent exchanged with Chaos. There would never be enough energy to content the two. They had, and always would have, a ravenous lust for the delectable, tempestuous power. It was a greed they would never be able to sate.

The vibrant intensity surged through his veins with thunderous electricity.

'Gods, this power is so… _delicious_!'

Vincent watched as the massive flames licked at the darkness surrounding him. There was no one but him and his demon in this hollow space where he assumed was his own incoherent psyche. His malevolent parasite held to its reputation as Vincent's mind was in a state of unbridled pandemonium. He could not escape. Visions of murderous demeanor flashed through abhorred eyes; trouncing and screaming malice to shatter sanity.

So many thoughts and pictures, memories and dreams. Too many. The overwhelming amount of information was unstable as it all bombarded him at once.

"_Lucrecia Crescent… a beautiful name for a beautiful woman," Vincent murmured as he watched the tall, elegant scientist walked out of the ShinRa library._

Another gush of adrenaline coursed through his system.

_The barrel of the gun aimed in Vincent's direction. He heard the maniacal Dr. Hojo bellow above Lucrecia's whimpering: "Not another move, Turk!"_

Rage quickly became his nemesis, attacking his nerves and overloading his erratic senses.

_"After all, Vinny, I _am_ a ninja…"_

The engraved memory of Yuffie's sweet smile fully inflamed the demon within. And, like a white hot dagger, pain and torment struck through his heart, severing his last restraint against absolute demonic superiority.

The protomateria Lucrecia had presented him with to maintain the equilibrium between the two beings had failed. She had not considered Mara, or any other supernatural force that could have external control. Though, as a safety net for Vincent's sanity, he instinctively sent himself into a psychosomatic coma. The domino effect of corroding morality pushed Vincent deeper and deeper away from physical reality to delve in the depths of his disjointed memories.

Images swimming before his eyes suddenly began to flash in heavy blurs, exhausting his ability to think. Vincent tried to block out the madness, but he could not hide from his own mind. He was trapped.

Lunacy crept upon him.

There was no escaping the inevitable. He was losing thought, time, and space in a spiraling vortex born from his loss of control. He was forgetting everything. He couldn't grasp a hold onto a single thought, just as he couldn't grasp a hold onto himself. It was the end of him. The end of everything he ever knew.

Insanity was conquering him, deeming Chaos its heir.

A bright light broke the disarray, swallowing him in white silence. The calm after the storm had come. The torment, as brutal as it was, had been brief. He did not remember what had caused it, or what had happened – he only knew that he had been afflicted. A foreign relief raised his heart as the soft clarity embraced him. His mind was literally blank; devoid of questions and knowledge, free of pain and people.

The first sign of lush green grass at his feet pulled him into awareness. The dreamy sound of rustling leaves calmed his nerves, inviting him to comfort and peace.

While the light began to settle into quiet sunshine, his vision adjusted to the new environment.

Or was it new?

A large tree towered overhead, filtering shafts of sunlight through its vast umbrella of healthy leaves; the grass beneath him stretched out across the landscape to disappear into the border of a dense forest; a colossal mountain split the cerulean sky with its jagged, snow-encrusted crown.

He recognized the place, but could not find a name.

A lone leaf fluttered from its branch to fall upon the pressed navy suit hugging his lean figure. The attire was strange, and – like everything else – oddly familiar. Even the tickle of short hair that delicately tapped against the nape of his neck with the soft breeze raised unresolved suspicions.

It felt like years since he had been here, this site of unknown origins.

Curious fingertips reached to touch an unmarred face. Soft flesh against soft flesh. Why did it feel so different? Something was missing – something he couldn't consign.

"Why is it I always find you out here?" a memorable, melodic voice spoke amusedly from behind him. "Could it be that I bore you?"

Vincent whirled around, dreamily sighing upon the sight of her. A weight – which he had not known harbored his heart – lifted. What was this reprieve he felt? This woman was looking at him with soft, kind eyes. She knew him.

She tipped her head to one side, considering as she smiled. "Well if watching me work is too strenuous, then how about lunch?"

She was so clear in his view, untainted by the years that he felt were devoid of her. He knew this woman – his heart made the connection even though his mind could not. He was groping in the dark without direction.

More light wind caressed his face, ruffling the silk shirt beneath his blazer and permitting it to breathe and flutter against his body. Physically, everything _felt_ real; but a small itch in his head nagged otherwise. Something was amiss; something he could not think of.

Still smiling, the young woman furrowed her brows and teased, "I fear boredom has driven you to a very deep dream world. For which I should take responsibility. Poor Vincent…"

Vincent. Yes, that was hisname.

He looked at her with attractive appreciation and the ghost of a feeling he had once felt stirred in his chest. It was warm as it spread throughout his body; comforting as it supplied hope and affection. Although he couldn't name it, this emotion seemed less potent than it had as of late. Something – or perhaps, some_one_ – else had made him feel like this, too; but with more vivacity.

He frowned, trying to envision the face of someone he couldn't remember. The amnesia had locked away the secrets that were his life, and he was again at a loss of recollection.

"Vincent?" The woman's smile had been replaced with a very worried expression.

He modified his scrutiny of her to actually look into her face. That visage was familiar, but did not match the one for which he was wracking his brain.

"Why don't you go lie down inside? You look awfully pale."

Vincent stared at her perplexedly for a moment, still debating if this was indeed real. How odd to wake in a world he vaguely recognized and yet not clearly remember anything. Names, places, events: all of them forgotten. What lingered now was his own empty mind; purged of memory.

"Truly," she urged, turning slightly to point to the large mansion meters away.

He was quite taken aback by its massive size, but he couldn't deny that it was extraordinarily beautiful. Ivy and other miscellaneous vinery laced across rustic brick, slowly consuming the expanse of the house. A neat and intricate courtyard stretched towards them; meticulously trimmed rose bushes bordered the pebbled paths, only to meet at a large, gnarled oak tree in the middle. It was strange that he had not noticed all that before when he had initially turned to meet the woman.

Again her soft voice broke the discomfiture that was his silence, "I will even bring up some of your favorite Wutainian tea."

"Wutainian," his deep voice finally found the will to speak as he concentrated on the familiar word. Epiphany was so near he could taste it.

The young woman looked at him with mild scrutiny. "Yes… I believe you told me it was your favorite because it reminds you of home. Am I wrong?"

Vincent looked up, setting aside the lie he knew was this reality, and shook his head. For now he would play along with whatever this world had to offer, but he would not dismiss his suspicion. He would find the truth… eventually.

"Good. Then let's get you inside." Warmth encased his hand as she entwined her fingers with his.

A sudden flash of fire licking at an impenetrable darkness had him doubled over within seconds. Lost memories trembled with the anticipation of being remembered – so _close _to being discovered. Diabolical plumes of smoke scalded his throat as he breathed, and bloodcurdling screams pillaged his mind: "Not him! No! _NO_!"

The obscure vision ended instantly. Vincent's eyes cleared to reality once more, and took notice of the wet soil pressing against his palms and soaking through at the knees of his slacks. His exhalations had become fast and irregular, as if trying to replace the instance of sickly smoke with the cool mountain air around him. The screams, too, continued to ring in his ears.

Details of the horrific vision wilted at the subtle power of a worried voice: "Vincent! Vincent! Are you alright?"

Arms and legs shook with fatigue, and his mouth robbed of moisture.

"Vin–"

"_Miss _Crescent!" The name was shouted angrily from afar.

Vincent watched the woman's feet step away from him briefly towards the mansion.

"Mr. Valentine is ill, doctor," she called out. "I was just about to help him inside."

"The health of your bodyguard is _not _to inhibit our studies, Miss Crescent!" came the other's irate reply. "Besides, what good is he to you if he cannot ensure his _own_ life?"

Lucrecia remained silent. Although her back was to him, Vincent knew she had bowed her head in shame.

"Jekt will collect him… Now get back inside. Specimen thirteen is in need of tending."

"Yes, sir," Lucrecia murmured. A few moments passed by before she turned back to Vincent and knelt down in front of him. He assumed the 'doctor' had retired back to the mansion, and therefore sat back on his wobbling heels to get a better view of 'Miss Crescent.' A pain wrought from duty etched through her beautiful features—Distress? Burdened? Loneliness?

"Just… try to relax," she told him soothingly, willing a smile to her lips. "Jekt will be out in a few moments to escort you back to your room."

The distraught woman was comforting _him_. He had only suffered a bad dream, whereas she (as much as her face had told him) had suffered a lifetime. How very selfless was this Miss Crescent.

"I'll be fine," Vincent told her calmly. "There is no need to summon assistance. A moment is all I require."

She gave a slow nod and rose to a stand. "Do get some rest, Vincent. I often worry about you, you know."

Before he could answer, she had already headed off in the direction of the mansion containing the enraged 'doctor.'

--

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	25. Chapter 25: Chaos Reigns

**CHAPTER 25: Chaos Reigns**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**Voila! Another chapter! And the end is ever-so-near!!! Enjoy!**

---

The PHS rang loudly throughout the hall of the royal pagoda, risking the alarm of the imperial guards.

Cid fumbled to retrieve the device, causing it to ring a few more times, before finally answering the call.

"Shit, Barret! Damn near sic'd Wutai's army on my ass!" he hissed into the receiver.

Barret chuckled on the other line. "'Should set that thing to vibrate, then."

"Yeah, yeah… wha'd ya got? Get the vamp, yet?"

"Naw. We saw somethin' sneak into the temple awhile ago. Red thinks it was him, but I'unno. Coulda been anybody."

Cid frowned. "Aw'right. Spike and I will check on the brat just in case. Keep stakin' out the pagoda. One of us will call after we've secured everythin'."

"Ya got twenty minutes."

When the connection ended, the pilot hurried back to the chamber where he and Cloud were assigned to retire. The warrior, naturally, was wide awake and staring anxiously out the one window. He turned his head quickly upon Cid's excited entrance.

"We think Vince is here," Cid stated, grabbing his spear from his coiled bedroll.

Cloud became suddenly filled with furious determination. He marched across the room and out the door, like the soldier he was—completely resolute. Cid followed close behind, slightly worried by the Avalanche leader's drastic change in demeanor.

'He thinks we're gonna save Tifa,' Cid worried as they both darted down the labyrinth of halls throughout the pagoda. 'He ain't got a clue what we're 'bout to be up 'gainst.'

They went up a flight of stairs and veered around another corner before arriving at the last place they had seen Yuffie: her room.

Cid froze upon noticing the ajar door, then whispered, "Looks like she had a visitor."

Cloud did not respond. He merely drew his sword and stepped closer toward the partly opened slab of wood.

Slowly, he eased open the door and crept inside. It was completely dark, save for the streak of moonlight illuminating the tidied bed.

"She's not here," Cloud growled dejectedly. His defense stance slackened with annoyance.

Cid could not tell if he was referring to Yuffie or Tifa. It was no matter, though, for he still felt at a loss just as Cloud did. If ever he were to have a daughter, he suspected she would something like Yuffie; now that she was missing without a trace (or possibly on her deathbed), he was besieged with fear.

'If that vamp lays one hand on her…!' he thought angrily, heaving now. 'So help me!'

Cloud cursed under his breath. "_Now_ where are we supposed to look? I feel like this whole thing is just a wild-chocobo hunt! Gods, what in the hell …."

But Cid was not listening. A faint purple glow ebbing on the other side of the room had gathered all of the pilot's attention.

"What the hell's that?"

The ex-soldier broke his tangent and became keenly alert. "Where?"

Cid inched forward, his weapon cradled.

The glow pulsed brightly as he neared, and he felt a sudden rush of excitement surge through him. Cid quickly leapt in front of the peculiar radiance, spear jabbing forward blindly in the dark.

"Cid!" Cloud exclaimed in a hushed voice.

The pilot's spear plunged through what was now a large, floating ellipse of light. Miniscule lightning of some kind wrapped around the weapon's shaft and crackled irritably at the abrupt intrusion.

"What the –?" he began, tugging his spear free from the magical plate.

The electricity subsided and was replaced with a gray landscape.

"A mirror?" Cid wondered aloud.

Cloud stepped forward and peered into the scene displayed. "No," he said breathlessly,  
"it's a portal."

--Y--

Mara flung her palms out towards Vincent. Their eyes were locked fiercely, but the slight grimace of her pale lips and knitting of brows did not go unnoticed. Something Yuffie had not expected to see had cemented into her enemy's expression.

'Is she… struggling?' Yuffie was absorbed by the appalling phenomena taking place. She honestly did not know whether to consider this a good or bad sign.

The manacled gunman just stared vacantly into Mara's soulless eyes as she _struggled _to dominate him.

A low growl rumbled in their enemy's throat and Vincent's skin began to glow like fire under silk, flickering and raging across his entire body. The white-hot luminescence that made steam rise from his body.

'That _definitely _can't be good…'

"_Damn you, fiend! Stay as you are!_"

It seemed, however, the more power she fed into him, the more violently he began to transform.

A riotous sound of shattering bones made Yuffie's heart constrict. Bloodied leather webs had sprung from his spine with immense ferocity – nothing in comparison to prior metamorphoses. Mara had obviously not intended for him to change quite yet. So then, what was setting him off so vehemently?

Massive, mineral-like talons ripped from fiery fingertips, scraping through stone as though it were sand, and enchanted bindings clanked with strain as Chaos thrashed for freedom.

'And blood,' Yuffie thought horrifically. Her body prickled with fear and she cursed her sudden cowardice. 'Even if my death _is _inevitable, I will not let him become a monster!' No, she had to be strong. Without aid, she would still need to fight. Because no one else could. She had made herself a legend among Avalanche, and she only hoped to be a savior for the home she had abandoned to rot. There was still hope. Always hope. She could not – nay, she _would not_ – fall victim to the prison of a nightmare that this nemesis had composed for her. She needed to save her people from destitution. She needed to save Vincent from his beast. She needed to liberate herself.

Even if it meant at the cost of her own life.

'That is only if worse comes to worst.'

Nothing was set in stone – those foreboding nightmares did not establish her fate. She had seen, and therefore, she could possibly avoid. But she had this one chance; she couldn't falter.

Smoky black energy misted into the air and surged towards Vincent, enveloping him in a spinning, cylindrical column. It whipped around him at such a blurring speed that it almost seemed solid.

From what she could make out through the disarray, Vincent himself was in a state of utter confusion. Wings and claws retracted and grew repeatedly; skin flashed between the fire of his demonic fury and the dull pale that was human; raven hair lengthened and spilled across ancient stone. Vincent – or perhaps it was Chaos – whipped his head up angrily, and with his mouth ajar, he heaved blazing breaths and sputtering flames against the magical wall. Menacing, crimson eyes bled black, leaving a vibrant ring of red around the onyx iris.

Yuffie dared to look into the dismal recesses, only to find them penetrating her, defying her very will to help him. His stare, although wicked and possessed, held a sort of anger that she had only seen in Vincent; the anger derived from her foolishness on numerous occasions; the anger which spoke on many levels of the gunman's worry.

She felt cold all over. Nothing to do with the weather. The eerie silence in the air terrified her. Through all of the horrific commotion, Vincent made not a sound. No snarls, no shrieks.

Only the repulsive shredding of muscle and flesh rung out.

"Vincent?"

The black shield spun faster, shrinking against him; suffocating him.

Yuffie looked to Mara, who now smiled triumphantly over her conquest.

"**You'll kill us both if you persist,**" spoke a voice so dark and so deep that it reverberated throughout her entire body.

"_Then obey me! I will not tolerate your rambunctious antics!_"

"**He cannot control his emotions with that **_**human **_**around**," Chaos replied with arrogant nonchalance. "**She is the only thing he cares for, and you've provoked his fury, which in turn manipulates mine.** **You have brought the havoc upon yourself.**"

Mara relinquished her spell, vacuuming all magic back into her palm. Chaos remained bound, but instead of Vincent's kneel, he chose to stand proudly.

Demon or not, the being before them was magnificent. He heightened the quality of Vincent's frame and human attributes with skin aglow like the hottest part of the sun deepened the contours of his muscles and accented the fiery ruby bordering his jet eyes. Tousled black hair fell passed his hips, few strands snagging on stretched leather wings.

"_You forget. I don't really need you, Chaos. I could easily kill her without you._"

"**Yes, but it would be hardly worth boasting to our underworld.**"

"_I care not for glory!_" Mara seethed. "_That wretched emperor betrayed me!_"

"**Betrayed **_**you**_**? Now that **_**is**_** an illusion.**"

The hellion snarled. "_I needn't explain myself to you!_"

"Then how about me?" Yuffie interjected, her heart pounding in her ears. "I think I have the right to know why I'm to die for my father's stupidity!"

Hateful, burgundy eyes slid to the ninja no longer quiet. "_Your father has already paid his price._"

Yuffie was stunned for a moment. 'No, no he's not! She wanted him here to see me die first!'

Mara's serious gaze did not falter. No cackle convinced a lie.

A fresh wave of fear crashed over Yuffie. "No, no," she whispered in disbelief. Then in a shout, "You're lying!"

But even as she said the words, she doubted them.

Platinum eyes followed the ashen hand that motioned towards the dais.

Scarlet liquid was spilling down stone steps, streaming from the top platform where only a blood-soaked robe could be seen from behind a dilapidated wall. Eyes wide, heart screaming, and body numb, she walked in a trance up to the dais. There was so much blood! It made her nauseous to the point where her eyes began to water and she had to cover her mouth. As she drew nearer, the beginnings of a carcass unveiled for her to see. The sight after walking up the steps and peering around the wall forced all the warmth from her body.

There, surrounded by a pool of blood, laid her father. Or rather, what was left of him. It was a horrid scene: his lower jaw had been torn from his skull, and it looked as though some large beast and ripped his abdomen to shreds.

Yuffie could feel herself hyperventilating and the fresh tears falling from their ducts. "D-Dad?"

"_That, my dear, is no illusion_," Mara stated blithely. "_I think you and I both agree that he earned every bit of his punishment_."

Blood painted her hands and soaked her dress as she knelt beside the morbid corpse. "You're wrong," her voice broke weakly.

Mara cocked a brow. "_You pity the man who tortured you your whole life? Who_ used _you for his own selfish gain?_"

"He was still my father!" Yuffie shouted back, and then in a sad whisper, "He was still my family."

"_Pathetic_," Mara said disgustedly. "_Perhaps you would change your mind if you knew that upon offering him an exchange for your life instead of his, he greedily accepted. Now, tell me, human, what kind of father would do that?_"

The empress whipped around furiously, the frenzy of hatred boiling in her silver orbs. "What does it matter anyway? You're here to take my life! My compassion is no concern of yours!"

Mara stared indifferently; demon eyes completely devoid of emotion or empathy. "_It's true. I really do not care for your woes, Princess, because I do intend to rid the planet of your family's foul bloodline and curse your homeland for its treachery. However,_" – she glided closer to the last of Wutai's royalty – "_I cannot deny that your resilience to all my tormenting is rather quite intriguing._"

"So you've just been toying with me?" Yuffie asked despicably.

"_You have not yet fallen, despite how much I have taken from you_." The demon chuckled darkly. "_Your home, your lover, your friend, even your parents_!"

Horrorstruck, Yuffie's eyes widened. "You…you...!"

"_Took your mother. Yes. A little parting gift before Godo bound me into the Hell-forsaken mountain._"

Her jaw clenched hard, threatening to break loose some teeth.

"_Wishing for death, now, empress?_" Tifa's imposter revealed a wicked smile.

"Only yours." Yuffie clenched her jaw and focused all her senses.

"_Then lend me a good fight._"

A large piece of metal clattered against the ground in front of Yuffie, and she felt an overwhelming surge of adrenaline and determination. Victory was not impossible.

She bent over and curled her fingers around the four-pointed blade alive with mastered materia. She studied it, admiring the countless battles won. It was only right that she wield Conformer, her most trusted weapon, now, when death was imminent. Die with pride or fight until victorious. Surprising, even to herself, that she would be satisfied with either ending.

Yuffie quickly swiped the blades at her bloodied wedding gown, stripping away any inhibitions, before hoisting the shuriken over her shoulder readily.

Mara grinned, gliding out into the open space of the ancient ruins. "_Let us commence._"

---

**Oops! Cliffhanger… Please let me know your thoughts! Thanks for reading!**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	26. Chapter 26: Mockery

**CHAPTER 26: Mockery**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

-----------------------------------------------V------------------------------------------

Vincent made his way into the foyer of the mansion, where two massive staircases parted from the floor to circle up onto a connecting balcony. The luxurious décor, in all its lavish style, was austerely dark for how beautiful and light it was outside. It was an image of crimson and onyx; even the smallest detail strayed from the scheme. Cushions and furniture meant for dinner parties and elegant meetings remained seemingly untouched; their once vibrant colors decaying with dust and age. Cobwebs matted the unlit chandeliers above, only adding to the dubious austerity that had become the foreign house. It was too gothic. And yet a vague familiarity of something completely unsettling hovered heavily in each room he passed as he made his way to his own chambers.

Vincent stopped abruptly. 'How do I know where I'm going?'

It was as though his body remembered everything, and his mind nothing. He realized, for all of his thinking and wonder, his mind was awfully quiet; as though, something other than memories had also been lost when he awoke in this new place.

The corridor he had taken was long and wide—and for a house in use, the air was awfully thick with stale age. There was so much dust. Everywhere. Vincent could hardly stand breathing in clouds of the little particles.

The gunman suddenly halted and entered a room with painfully vague recognition. Sun streamed in through the massive windows that lined the farthest wall, filtering its best through the house's decay. This room, although rather quaint, had a memory he could not place. A fairly large bed, an intricately carved vanity, and a circular rug were all that occupied the spacious room.

The bed in particular drew his attention. Carefully, he skimmed his hand over the clean comforter. "No dust." This room was not vacant. Was it his?

"No…" Vincent whispered, answering his own question. A subtle vibration ran down his spine, suggesting he was close to uncovering the truth. So close…

A sharp pain, like lightning, ripped through his skull-- sudden, searing, and ruthless. Incoherent images flashed behind his eyes at an incomprehensible speed followed by a blur of voices; enraged and shouting.

Vincent doubled over onto the elevated steps, writhing while the white-hot agony torched his temples. For an instant, he felt the heat enflame his entire body, and he could see the end of the tunnel; his memories were _so_ close. But just as he had felt it, the instant was gone. The pain, the visions, the remembrance were all lost just as they had been before.

"Damn it!" he growled. Everything he wanted to know, everything he needed to know, was so irritatingly close yet he could not get to it. He slumped forward onto the bed, too fatigued to move or care. Any attempt in trying to decipher the pandemonic flash seemed futile; it had been much too quick and chaotic for him to interpret anything.

"I knew you liked the doc, Vince, but don't you think sniffin' her sheets is a bit extreme?"

Startled, Vincent gathered himself to a stand immediately, his muscles aching in protest. He eyed the navy suit donned by the other man. "Jekt?"

"The one and only!" Jekt smirked and proudly pointed a thumb at himself, then asked, "What are you doing up here anyway? Lounging on the job?"

Vincent clutched the bedpost, not trusting his wobbly legs to hold his weight. "I was, err, patrolling?" Was that what they did in this house?

Jekt frowned for a moment, then scoffed, "Look, makes no difference to me, Valentine. This job is shit anyway. I mean, what the hell are we doing here? Really. Watching a bunch of nut jobs play with test tubes is not exactly what I'd call a 'life-threatening' situation. You know?"

"We're protecting scientists…" Vincent murmured to himself.

Jekt shook his head in disapproval. "Yeah. What a bunch of bullshit. If you ask me, I think ShinRa could have invested his money in something a _little_ more promising than that creeper Hojo. The guy's a total lunatic! I can't believe he actually thinks fiddling with mako is really gonna improve ShinRa's army."

ShinRa. Hojo. Memories associated with the names overloaded Vincent's mind. He remembered them. He remembered Dr. Hojo; his experiments; Sephiroth; the death of Lucrecia. He remembered President ShinRa; his biochemically enhanced Soldiers; his plot to monopolize the planet. He remembered the devastation both had brought so long ago. He remembered it all, except the part that related back to his current situation.

This was far from déjà-vu. This was something else entirely. He was reliving his own nightmarish reality; and the worst had yet to come.

Vincent sickened at the horrific realization. His head felt like air and suddenly his knees were buckling beneath him. What the hell was going on? If he had already lived this, then why was he here? Just how did he get here exactly? He passed one road block, only to come to another, and the quick discoveries was taking a vicious toll on his body.

Jekt took a step back, speculating the state of his partner. "Whoa! Hey man, you alright? Maybe we should have the docs look at you."

Vincent ignored him, too busy focusing on his partially regained memory for fear it would disappear again. All too similar was his situation: The woman he loved in danger. The adversary who would take her life was a threat to everyone. And he, Vincent Valentine, was just an obscure piece to the immensely complex puzzle. He knew everything. He knew what would soon happen. But he had to be in his own mind, trapped somehow. Why, though, still remained an utter and catastrophic mystery.

The room began to spin, and the nausea became overwhelming. His limbs felt like lead, immovable deadweight. He clamped his eyes shut, blocking out everything, trying to concentrate.

"Don't forget. Don't forget." He whispered repeatedly.

"Vince? Yo, Vince!" Jekt's voice seemed so far away.

Vincent dared not open his eyes. He could just feel the room spiraling around him, suffocating him. The world, his world, was strangling him. Trying to force him to remember, but at the price of his health. Or was it his sanity? Even if he knew what was going to happen there at the mansion, he would not be able to save Lucrecia. That was not how the memory played out; that was not her fate. Her fate was death. A cold, gruesome death that lead to the Lifestream's merciful preservation of her body in crystal.

Vincent shivered as the air around him became abnormally frigid. He pried open heavy lids to peer through the strange darkness in which he was enveloped. He was now in a concrete hallway, with only the fluorescent light of an open doorway at the end serving as illumination. The steady bedpost had disappeared from his grasp, and all he could really feel was a horrible agony in his stomach.

'What the–?' He looked down and regretted it. Fresh blood poured from a fatal bullet wound to his lower abdomen, and it was only gathering more for a collective pool at his feet. He hissed as he quickly put pressure on it.

"This is science, professor, and we are on the brink of the greatest discovery!"

The familiar shrill voice of Dr. Hojo breaking the uneasy silence sent a jolt of fear through Vincent. He remembered this.

"This is _not _science anymore! This… this is inhumane!"

At the sound of Lucrecia's vehement outburst, the gunman forced his weary body up off the uneven concrete, wavering slightly and slouching against the cold, stone wall of the long corridor for support.

'Move!' he yelled internally. He had to at least try.

Hojo's cackle reverberated throughout the confined underground lab. "How very hypocritical of you, professor. You yourself are no better than I. That _abomination_ growing in your womb is no better than what I intend to do."

"You… you _bastard_! _You_ did this to me!" Lucrecia shot back.

Vincent slowly made his way toward the open door at the end of the hall; his strength seemed to drain with every step.

Hojo sighed, eerily calm. "This simply will not do, Miss Crescent."

"Please! _Please!_ Don't harm him anymore! He is no threat to us!"

Vincent snapped his head up at the sound of Lucrecia's sobbed plea.

"Enough! The Turk belongs to science now."

"You can't!" Lucrecia shouted hysterically. There was a brief pause, and then terrified, she exclaimed, "Wait! What are you doing?! Dr. Hojo! No! _NO!_"

The sickening sound of ripping flesh followed by Lucrecia's bloodcurdling scream had Vincent's adrenaline spiking and his legs sprinting for the doorway.

He skidded through the threshold and nearly slipped on the slick floor. Slick with… blood. The ominous crimson substance was _everywhere_. Fresh _and _old. Hojo stood across the room, hunched over a thoroughly drenched knife and rambling to himself under his breath. Vincent felt his stomach jump into his throat at the sight of the hardly distinguishable mass next to him.

"Lucrecia!" he shrieked, rushing to her side. She had been completely mutilated. Gashes inches wide had sliced open her abdomen, shredding her entrails entirely, and leaving her a lifeless corpse.

"Oh-ho… There you are." Hojo careened his neck to peer at him sidelong; a sickening smile stretched across his face. "I've been looking for you."

Horrified, Vincent looked up into the eyes of the crazed scientist.

Hojo's lips moved, but the voice that spoke was raspy and unusually feminine. "How's that memory of yours, Valentine?"

**Mmm Cliffhangers. How you've missed them.**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	27. Chapter 27: Vigilant Is The Heart

**CHAPTER 27: Vigilant Is The Heart**

_**Disclaimer: **_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**For those of you still reading this, I totally give you kudos. Thanks so much for reading, and although I'm so close to finishing this novella, I've appreciated your support and commentary even through the uber long hiatuses. You guys rock.**

-Y-**  
**

"_Oh, this is hardly fair!_"

Yuffie winced at the piercing cackle as she briefly along a wall to avoid Mara's incoming attacks. She had been running, dodging, and flipping for quite some time now, avoiding fatal blows and only _hoping _to have nicked Mara in the process. The demon was everywhere and anywhere. It was seemingly impossible to catch her before she teleported to another spot. The odds of winning were extraordinarily slim for the ninja. Her trials began to seem futile. She continued to search for a pattern to the erratic apparitions, but found it very difficult while alternating between her own offensive and defensive strategies.

However, for the most part, Mara was remaining rather static in combat. She had well-honed skills with the sword she had unsheathed from her cloak, but to Yuffie, it was strangely _mortal_ of her to be using it. Even with the supernatural ability to teleport using her demonic power, Mara was irritably unpredictable, but it seemed she was incredibly limited only to that. She was resorting to physical contact only, which gave Yuffie the upper hand while Mara managed to evade her attacks. Close-range, Yuffie was matched with Mara's swordsmanship; but afar, she had Conformer. A position where Mara was without. Years of captivity in Da Chao had disintegrated her demon form, forcing her to possess a human. It seemed that crucial detail also inhibited her combat. Magical manifestation was apparently impossible, or strained. She had either used all of her energy in turning Vincent and therefore her power was regenerative over time, or she was waning due to her mortal limitations. Yuffie hoped it was the latter.

'One step. Back two. Slide... Duck! Turn, turn, turn!'

Yuffie hastily dodged a sweeping strike to her feet, launching herself in the air, twirling for momentum, and flinging her shuriken diagonally across the stone dais.

This quickstep promenade that often ended with her another's life was Yuffie's favorite dance. With only the rhythm of her own heartbeat was she able to perform with poignant flexibility, agility, and speed; all necessary qualities to learn the schematics of a ninja. She was a highly skilled dancer in the art: lithe and elegant in movement, quick and cunning in reflex. A lifetime of practice had shaped her well, molding more than just talent and perfection, but intelligent sensory and precision. The world had always been her ballroom as she waltzed with multiple adversaries over the years. Ninjutsu was just the style of her art; the type of dance she longed to articulate. But it had made her so much more.

Her body was an instrument of death in itself. Lethally poised and always ready for the unpredictable. Handheld weapons were merely superfluous for a ninja like Yuffie. Unnecessary, excessive, overkill. Regardless, she had always chosen to equip her beloved star, for its nature much matched her own: free and fast and fatal. None could deny it. Conformer was a piece of her she could never dance without. It was an extension of herself in the midst of any fight. She would have it no other way than to feel its wholesome attachment, now, at the hour of one's doom.

Yuffie smoothed a palm over the flat of a blade - admiring, soothing, praying – and then hurled it at the smoky apparition.

Mara's low chuckled echoed throughout the dais, rumbling through her ears. Taunting. "_All those years of training were all for naught. Such a pity_."

Yuffie closed her eyes briefly, listening for the return of her weapon, reminiscing of the sweet pleasantries she had often enjoyed in life. She lacked any significance without them. She had not truly lived since she had left Wutai, but all her years of age combined had defined her; not just the ones that had been her happiest. Everything from her blissful childhood in a warm and welcome Wutai, through her rough adolescence of torture and gruesome training, into her Avalanche acceptance of friendship, family, and purpose. Her life was not incomplete. She had tasted all extremities of the spectrum life offered. She was prepared to do what she now faced. She was prepared to pay the price for a greater good.

The faint whistling of Conformer pervaded her nostalgia. Yuffie jumped onto an atrophied wall, and launched herself backwards atop a pillar just in time to catch her retreating shuriken. Its mastered materia radiated vibrant hues in their slots, humming with confined power that was beginning to strain from excessive use. Soon, she would be without their energies. Soon, she would be alone.

'Alone.'

Chains jostled loudly beside her as a beast thrashed against his confines. Chaos, under the reign and rule of Mara, stretched against his restraints to shred her apart. Yuffie immediately formed a back handspring to avoid hungry stone talons, and nearly lost her balance upon her landing as Chaos' other hand swiped at her.

Pain seared through the side of her abdomen. Claw marks gouged her side, and her blood was now spilling. She cursed and fought for control over the weakness.

Panic settled in, prickling her spine, almost running rampant through her veins. The overdose of adrenaline made her clumsy and forgetful of her foe.

"_Ut oh. That's one_…"

Yuffie looked over her shoulder, and luckily twirled to one side right as Mara parried.

The pain was strong, but she knew she had to be stronger. There were people she had a duty to save; a country she was compelled to avenge; a man she had vowed to love.

'Gods–!'

A faint whir stirred the air behind her, and she smiled inwardly with relief. Then she counted, dodging Mara's quick pace while waiting for the opportune moment to…

Yuffie dove off to side, rolling and coming to a stand just in time to catch Conformer in flight. She whirled around, using her shuriken as a defensive shield against the relentless, bloodthirsty blade. Metal clanked against metal viciously as Yuffie deflected every rapid and random strike. She spun her shuriken hoping to disarm her opponent.

But it backfired.

Mara pushed her blade down forcibly, repelling the windmill move, and expelling Conformer from Yuffie's grasp. It clattered against the course concrete mere feet from them, and Yuffie leapt for it instinctively. As soon as she had grabbed the center handle, though, the tip of Mara's sword already rested at the nape of her neck.

Wind lapped at Yuffie's unreadable face. Although she stood in forfeit, her posture held pride and her gaze remained steady as it held the devilish maroon eyes of her enemy. Her hands trembled not with fear, but furious irritation. She was still itching for another go. Just one more dance.

Lightning lit the gray sky ominously, and the frigid atmosphere darkened.

"_You forget, I'm impervious to defeat_," Mara bellowed above the thunder. "_In a world with me, you could never win_."

Yuffie opened her mouth to speak, but found herself lacking a voice. She grasped her throat as if to squeeze out her words, then dropped her hand to glare menacingly at her nemesis.

"_No clever threats from the invincible ninja?_" her raspy voice patronized. "_Pity. I would have enjoyed making you choke on them._"

Fury bubbled just beneath her skin, as though lava had substituted blood. This was _not _her fate. Dreams did not constitute nor dictate her life. She made her own decisions. She was human, and she had free will to embrace.

Yuffie swung Conformer up behind her, but caught air instead of flesh. She whirled around violently, breathing raggedly through strained lungs and staggering slightly with the protest of a deep wound to her abdomen.

White-hot pain ripped through shoulder, blinding Yuffie momentarily. With no voice to scream her agony, she shut her eyes tightly. A familiar onyx claw had gripped her shoulder and forced its thumb just under her collarbone.

"_Ah! There's two!_" Mara exclaimed in vile delight. The obedient claw retracted from its impalement, leaving an indescribably burn in the raw, torn flesh.

"_Now… On your knees, Kisaragi_." A violent kick at the back of her knees had Yuffie falling onto all fours on a plain of shattered glass.

'Not glass…' She looked closer, and realized the obliterated golden claw Vincent had once donned. The fear was there, overwhelming, and twisting her innards in knots. But she refused to show it. The nightmares had been true all along. This really was her fate: to die fighting for all that she loved.

She shifted her weight as she sat on her kneels, pressing her knees deeper into the ruin of Vincent's claw. She felt her own blood trickle down the cut off wedding gown to drip onto the shards, and the sight made her sick. She breathed deeply of the air that was brisk with imminent rain, and one icy wind after another mangled her hair, obscuring her vision.

'Will this really be all for nothing?'

She had not done all she had wanted to do in life, but she did not feel incomplete. She had already decided before even asking the question: this planet, this country, this life, had all been worth fighting for. Even in death, it would have never been in vain.

Yuffie felt the familiar press of frosted steel at her neck. Here it would end, and so would she. It really was inevitable. How the tears of anguish longed to pour. Never again would she see her friends; never again would she feel the warm sun of Wutai in the summer; never again would she ride on Cid's airship; never again would she have the chance to tell Vincent –

"_Any last words?_"

Sharp edge bit tender skin at her enemy's rueful inquiry. Yuffie winced slightly, but remained composed.

Yuffie turned her head upward and scowled at Mara. She remembered her friends, who would no doubt avenge her when they discovered her dead. 'I guarantee it: You won't live long after this.'

Mara raised a brow, apparently having heard her thoughts. A sickening smile slowly spread across her face, and she raised her sword high above her head.

"_So be it._"

Bitter steel sliced through the air. Yuffie's heartbeat pummeled her ribcage. No one would save her. Not even her crimson savior.

Memories flashed through her mind, as if in an attempt to savor and remember (even in death) all the things she had always cherished.

The thunder and wind muted. Yuffie could see the sky alight with a new foreboding farewell, and the tumult of her heart suddenly eased.

The world was completely silenced in that one moment…

Then, only the sickening slide of steel embedding itself within thick, human flesh.

**Let me know your thoughts! ^_^ Thank you for reading!**

_**Coquettish Siren**_


	28. Chapter 28: Sacrifice

**CHAPTER 28: Sacrifice**

_**Disclaimer:**_**I do NOT own FFVII characters, worlds, ideas, etc.**

_**Author's Note: **_**If you're still following this story, you're amazing and totally deserve a dozen cupcakes :}  
**

-V-

Vincent frantically pounded on the door of his mind, trying to unlock what was stolen from him. It was something important, something dear.

Some_one_.

He could feel absence of faces he once knew. Whispers of their voices taunted him. Combined, they agitated him.

Hojo gasped and hunched over as though he had just taken a punch to the gut. "_I can... not hold you... here... much longer._"

"Wh-?"

Vincent flew back against stone floor with a severe skull-splitting migraine, erupting from the impact memories. He shrieked as the spear of white-hot flame burned back all that was stripped of him: thousands of faces, voices, and _feelings_. The memories were endless. So was the pain.

'**Hurry, Valentine. This is a very small window of opportunity.**'

'I... I can't! The pain... it's too much!'

'**That bitch is trying to latch onto you! You must fight for your mind before she takes control!**' Chaos growled agitatedly.

Murmuring voices roared into his ears, and the scorch continued its torment. Vincent screamed in agony.

'**Fight the pain, Valentine! She is coming for us, and your princess can only hold out for so long!**'

Yuffie. His sweet and innocent Yuffie.

_Moonlight shone on the petite figure leaning against the airship railing._

The blaze ebbed away in recollection of her. Then returned with full force.

Mara's voice overpowered the rest: '_Even if she does live, you cannot save yourself!_'

The magnitude of torture increased behind his eyes, searing deep into his psyche; for a moment, Vincent thought he might go blind with it.

_'_**Don't listen to her, Vincent! Keep concentrating! Remember why you live!**'_  
_

And he did. He remembered why this mundane existence he once had deemed his life was now worth fighting for. He had gained the reciprocated love of another, and sewn back together his banished heart. She made him whole again, and she had loved him despite his dark demons; she had even bared witness to them and suffered under their wrath.

Yuffie never gave up on him. So he would not give up on her.

_"…So peaceful," Yuffie said quietly into the current of air. "Wouldn't you say, Vince?"_

_He desperately wished to reach out and touch the porcelain skin which glowed with the silver beams of faint moonlight. _

_Gods, she was beautiful._

-Y-

Yuffie had never appreciated the life she had while it was still hers to live out, and now she regretted not stopping to enjoy the little things. From a childhood of hard labor, physical strain, and psychological abuse; to a woman who finally found something worth fighting for. Love was worth it all. Love; for her country, her father, her people, her friends…

'For Vincent.'

The fire in her veins roared with the inextinguishable will to live. She would survive to hear Vincent reciprocate her heart because she _knew_ that he did; to become the hero that Wutai desperately needed; to be free from the confines of royalty but still fight for all she held dear.

'This cannot be the end. This _will not _be the end.'

"_So be it._"

Steel whirred above her, and Yuffie merely inhaled a calm breath.

Despite all of her harsh wounds, she moved with impeccable haste: Yuffie snatched up Conformer and swung up the cross-blades just in time to catch the fatal attack. But the sword bit flesh regardless and blood trickled from the inch-deep cut on her shoulder. Yet the ninja held her unwavering stature, locking the blade with her own; saving her life.

"Death may be inevitable," she ground out, "but today will not declare mine."

Overrun with incredible fervor, Yuffie shoved back against the demon's sword. She lunged from her crouch and drove her extended leg out to meet the side of her Mara's face, sending her opponent forward fast. But before Mara met the ground, Yuffie swerved Conformer in an upward arc and impaled Mara's chest deeply on its vicious steel pikes.

Blood spewed from Mara's mouth and a riotous growl broke through the air behind them. Yuffie looked to Chaos, where he fell on all fours. The searing light beneath his skin began to pulse from very dim to extraordinarily bright, like a star about to supernova.

Panic jolted through her. "What's happening? What did you do to him?"

"_The transition… can be pain… ful_."

"Transition?" But she already knew what Mara had meant, and the realization overwhelmed. "No..."

A cough (or was it a laugh?) forced more blood to spray out onto the ground before Mara's frail body crumpled in a heap of black and crimson where it remained inert.

For a moment, she could only stare in horror at what she had done. Godo's price had been great indeed. It was not enough that he and his wife had paid with their lives, but now it had to end with the person _she_ loved the most. The weight of such truth was so unbearable that her legs collapsed beneath her in defeat.

'I have condemned him to death.'

She stared at the pulsating Chaos and her eyes burned with the hot tears now pouring down her muddied cheeks; her body shook as she gripped Conformer – still buried in its fleshly sheath. Yuffie broke down completely, unable to hold herself together.

Such sweet memories with the man she loved now felt like razors in her gut. No more would she hear that velvet baritone; nor see his hidden smile; no more would she lose herself in crimson eyes; nor heal his battered heart.

"No more," she whispered.

Haggard but undefeated, Yuffie tugged free her bloodied shuriken, and rose from her sadness to claim new found fortitude. The ninja had only one last life to claim; and afterward, she hoped to follow suit. This was for those she loved, even if she had to kill the one she loved the most.

She watched through tear-strained eyes as the gunman that she so dearly clung to now strained to regain his mortal equanimity.

Staccato lightning struck the gray empyrean; thunder rumbled and quaked through the earth; powerful wind whirred around her, tangling and messing her short hair. Yuffie let the sadness wash over her as she approached the thrashing Chaos. He seemed less of a monster now; more human, and much like the man she loved - but she knew it was only Mara slowly taking over his body. There would be no Vincent left after she leeched into him. There would be no Yuffie afterwards, either.

The sun beneath his flesh became less and less vibrant, ebbing away. He was almost gone.

"I… I love you, Vincent Valentine," she sobbed, "I have _always _loved you."

Yuffie swung back her shuriken, and let it whip forward.

-V-

Vincent could sense it now; the end was so near he could hardly stand it. He had only to endure the searing agony just a little bit longer; long enough for him to escape this psychological Charybdis of pandemonium. He could hear Mara's harsh incantations meddling with his own mind's tongue; but he paid it no heed. She would not conquer him; he was so close to fail now.

…_Vincent swept her up bridal style in his arms, their eager lips never parting as he walked over to her bed and laid her down gently beneath him._

"_I love you, Vincent Valentine... I have _always_ loved you."_

The words thrust through his chest, spearing his throbbing heart.

"Yuffie."

The world unveiled itself to his newly-awakened eyes, but the gunman saw only torture in the eyes of the woman he loved as she stared back at him in horrific distress.

"...Vincent?" she whispered.

Vincent made to reach for her, to comfort her blatant grief, but found himself restricted by excruciating pain. He followed Yuffie's unblinking gaze to the damage of her shuriken, whose blades now sheathed themselves beneath his ribcage.

"Vincent!" Yuffie cried helplessly, covering her mouth in shock. "Oh Gods!"

"It's... alright. I'm just... glad... you're safe." Warm blood gurgled in the back of his throat, and he choked on it, forcing it from his mouth. He knew why she had done it, he knew she had to stop the threat. It was simply poor timing; he was not quick enough.

Vincent felt the encumbering fatigue beginning to creep upon him, and his eyelids fluttered, struggling to keep consciousness. Minutes were all that were left.

"No! NO! Stay with me, Vincent!" Yuffie tried to quell her sobs as she cradled his head in her trembling hands.

The gunman smiled, and pressed his lips to hers. Desperate fervor quivered through their kiss as they both reveled and savored the beauty of each other. What an honor it was to be loved so ardently. Wherever he was bound after the darkness took him, he hoped he could still see that beautiful face.

"I love you, Yuffie," he breathed against her lips.

Crimson eyes closed.

**The End?**

**_Coquettish Siren_  
**


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